The review, Delivering for Children and Families, said, 'There is a need to change the way in which policy is made and services are delivered at both the central and local level to enable a more joined-up approach, and the Government reforms have been designed to address this.'
The report said the funding of services was 'complex' and had 'not been well aligned', particularly in the case of start-up funding currently available through the New Opportunities Fund. Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships were also criticised because they had 'not always made a significant difference in driving forward the joining together of services or encouraged those parts of the local statutory services with an interest in children', including local education authorities and NHS Trusts.
The report said the main problems were that providers faced 'uncertainty and difficulties in securing funding'; EYDCPs and local authorities had a heavy burden in terms of the amount of time spent accessing the various programmes and funds; parents' trust in childcare was reduced because of 'the apparent lack of an overall vision, compounded by multiple brands' of childcare provision; and the Government had 'difficulty in tracking the impact of overall spending on different initiatives and ensuring it is used in the most sensible way'.
Childcare organisations broadly welcomed the report. The Kids' Clubs Network today hailed it as 'a watershed in Government commitment to childcare in the UK'. Anne Longfield, chief executive of Kids' Clubs Network, who headed the review team, said, 'The Government has set out its vision for childcare. This needs to be coupled with simplified funding, co-ordinated activity locally and centrally, a clearer brand and performance management for local authorities.'
The Pre-school Learning Alliance welcomed the report as a 'radical and inclusive plan to transform services for children'.
The National Childminding Association said it was delighted with the report's acknowledgment of 'the central role that childminding plays today in supporting children of all ages while their families study or work'. The report said that while the key to achieving Government objectives was the availability of good-quality, affordable childcare, there were problems with its availability, particularly in deprived areas. Childminding grants would be extended, and children's centres and schools take on a greater role in building networks with childminders.
