Nursery World - MPs want affordable care for all (1)

The Government should concentrate on making childcare and early years provision affordable and sustainable and develop a specific strategy to tackle shortages of places in London, the Commons Public Accounts Committee said last week. The influential parliamentary committee, which acknowledged that there had been 'good progress in increasing the supply of early education', said the DfES should not limit its programmes for deprived children to disadvantaged areas.

The influential parliamentary committee, which acknowledged that there had been 'good progress in increasing the supply of early education', said the DfES should not limit its programmes for deprived children to disadvantaged areas.

'There are pockets of deprivation in otherwise affluent areas and there is a danger that these people will be overlooked in a strategy focusing on the 20 per cent poorest wards,' said the committee's report, Early Years: progress in developing high quality childcare and early education accessible to all (www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/ pa/cm/cmpubacc.htm).

High living costs and shortages of suitable land and buildings, coupled with complex planning processes and the high costs of provision, have contributed to slower expansion in London, the report said.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included