RELATIONSHIPS BY THE HOUR
I read, with increasing unease, the news that the Work and Pensionssecretary Iain Duncan Smith 'wants to see more childcare servicesoffered by the hour'.
Against the backdrop of increasing take-up of places, he has stated,'maybe it is time for many more childcare providers to actually startlooking at providing childcare by the hour rather than by theblock'.
Childcare by the hour? I fundamentally believe that the premise on whichthis is based is flawed. It would appear that these thoughts areinformed solely on perceiving childcare as a means of freeing up parentsto work, rather than the importance of high-quality early learning.While the two are not incompatible, appropriate conditions to enable thelatter should remain paramount.
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