Nursery World - It's a new year

By Anne Longfield, chief executive of Kids' Clubs Network. 2002 was a successful year. We saw the publication of the Government's major inter-departmental review of childcare, the first financial commitment to the growth of children's centres, the introduction of the new Child Tax Credit and the Education Act giving schools the power to run community services such as childcare.

2002 was a successful year. We saw the publication of the Government's major inter-departmental review of childcare, the first financial commitment to the growth of children's centres, the introduction of the new Child Tax Credit and the Education Act giving schools the power to run community services such as childcare.

So where next? Kids' Clubs Network believes that there are five top priorities for 2003 - more childcare places, more help with sustainability, more accessible training, more support for quality and more access to schools.

We believe that there is enough demand for an out-of-school club at every school. To achieve this we need a new programme of funding to provide start-up funds. However, in areas of disadvantage, on-going financial support is also crucial to ensure that childcare is available where many parents cannot afford childcare, even with the Child Tax Credit.

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