Nursery World - Shop while you drop

I note an article in Nursery World's 9 June issue reporting Tic Toc as the first company to offer 'educare' on a drop-in basis within a retail environment - Sainsbury's. I had to write to tell you about the success of a scheme run by Safeway. Approximately nine years ago, I set up childcare facilities for Safeway. They fully supported my ambition to provide quality care and education within a retail environment. I developed the drop-in facility in 103 stores in the UK for children aged two to eight.

I developed the drop-in facility in 103 stores in the UK for children aged two to eight.

We were registered and inspected as full daycare and children could stay for a maximum of two and a half hours in any one day for a small charge. We developed a comprehensive age-related curriculum of activities for the children, a robust operating policies and procedures manual, an internal due diligence inspection programme and training and ongoing professional development.

I had a childcare team of more than 1,000 staff, caring for 90,000 children a month.

I wish Tic Toc and Sainsbury's great success in their venture as they follow in Safeway's footsteps.

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