Nursery World - Nursery chains shun neighbourhood plan

Leading private nursery chains are not taking part in the Government's neighbourhood nurseries initiative because they do not believe the Department for Education and Skills has come up with a sustainable formula for funding their participation. The neighbourhood nurseries scheme aims to set up 900 50-place nurseries by 2004. When former education and employment secretary David Blunkett announced the scheme in December 2000 he said it would create 45,000 childcare places in around 900 new nurseries in deprived areas, with the first due to open before the end of 2001.

The neighbourhood nurseries scheme aims to set up 900 50-place nurseries by 2004. When former education and employment secretary David Blunkett announced the scheme in December 2000 he said it would create 45,000 childcare places in around 900 new nurseries in deprived areas, with the first due to open before the end of 2001.

Initially, the major nursery chains expressed enthusiasm for the idea. Jigsaw, the third largest, said that it hoped to set up 50 new nurseries under the scheme. However, it has not yet opened any.

Development director Jane James said' this week, 'Jigsaw has been heavily involved with the DfEE and then DfEE in helping support the neighbourhood nurseries initiative. We are still in negotiations and working collaboratively.

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