All our futures: Putting childcare at the centre of every neighbourhood, published last week, said that if the Government was to make its national childcare strategy a reality, it needed to raise the status, training and qualifications of the childcare workforce, as well as recruiting more men and people from ethnic minorities.
The report said, 'Looking after other people's children is an extremely responsible job and the quality of childcare workers is crucial to the quality of childcare itself.
'Childcare workers have been traditionally undervalued in the UK. Salaries and conditions of service are low, and there have been only piecemeal training and few qualifications.'
The report added that there also needed to be more childcare provision for children who have special needs, and for older children. It pointed out that the parents of children who have special needs face additional childcare costs, extra transport costs and have difficulties claiming the childcare tax credit element of Working Families Tax Credit because they may need care at home.
The report said that although Government initiatives are starting to close the gap between the amount of childcare provision that exists and the amount that is needed, much more needs to be done.
* The Trust has moved offices. Its new address is 21 St George's Road, London SE1 6ES (tel 020 7840 3350, fax 020 7840 3355, e-mail info@daycaretrust.org.uk,or website www.daycaretrust.org.uk).
