Nursery World - Quality control in childcare is urged

The European Union should play a greater role in influencing the quality of childcare delivered in its member states, a childcare expert said last week. Speaking at Children in Scotland's 'Revisiting the Vision' conference in Glasgow, Peter Moss, professor of early childhood provision at London University's Institute of Education, said the EU 'should not confine itself only to quantity: it should also have something to say about quality'.

Speaking at Children in Scotland's 'Revisiting the Vision' conference in Glasgow, Peter Moss, professor of early childhood provision at London University's Institute of Education, said the EU 'should not confine itself only to quantity: it should also have something to say about quality'.

In 2002 the EU set targets for the number of childcare places in services for children aged under six. This political agreement, which is often referred to as the 'Barcelona targets', stipulates that by 2010 all services in member states should offer childcare places for 33 per cent of children aged under three and 90 per cent of those aged between three and six. It does not specify whether these should be full-time equivalents or be provided by publicly funded nurseries.

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