Under proposals set out in the consultation on the Ofsted Childcare Register (OCR), private and voluntary sector providers who offer childcare for ages five to seven will be required to join the OCR. Providers who care for children aged eight and over will be able to register voluntarily.
The move has been strongly opposed by childcare organisations who believe that having two registers - the Early Years Register for under-fives and the light-touch OCR - could potentially undermine Ofsted's inspection and regulation system and confuse parents and providers.
The Professional Association of Nursery Nurses said that it 'cannot respond positively to the consultation'. A PANNspokes-person said, 'We believe all childcare provision should be subject to mandatory inspection and regulation regardless of the age of the children or place where the care is being provided. Parents will not differentiate between mandatory and voluntary. They place great store in Ofsted, and an OCR will suggest to most parents a greater level of standards than will actually be in place.'
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