It had a ground-breaking mission to create 45,000 full-time daycare places in disadvantaged areas, particularly those with little or no existing provision. Yet many private providers involved in the trail-blazing Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative (NNI) now fear for their long-term viability. They are concerned at the potential threat from other Government initiatives and feel that some local authorities are keeping them in the dark over plans for children's centres.
Mary Pooley, assistant director of the Sure Start Unit, promised at a recent conference on the role of the private sector that 'all neighbourhood nurseries should become or be linked to children's centres'. According to the DfES, 677 of the 1,390 neighbourhood nurseries are involved in children's centres, including 157 of the 564 which are private sector-led.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
