As the debate over childminder agencies rages on, I imagine that many of you, like me, may be experiencing a distinct feeling of déjà vu.
It’s only been a few months since we as a sector celebrated our victory over ratios, and yet here we are again, faced with yet another policy that is intended to benefit practitioners, parents and children, but when scrutinised more closely, appears to fail on all fronts.
The primary aim behind agencies – removing barriers to entry into the childminding market – seems sensible enough at first glance. Childminders play a vital role in the provision of high-quality flexible childcare, so why wouldn’t we want to encourage more into the sector? But as is always the case with government policy, the devil is in the detail; and on the issue of agencies, that’s where things begin to unravel.
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