Free nursery places funding 'must reach frontline providers'
Catherine Gaunt
Friday, February 17, 2012
Early years organisations responding to the Government consultation on the proposed changes to the entitlement to free early education and childcare sufficiency have stressed that funding must reach the frontline.
The Pre-School Learning Alliance said it was concerned about difficulties in identifying children from disadvantaged families with needs such as speech and language delay and emotional and behavioural difficulties.
The Alliance said it would like children with additional needs, impairments and communication difficulties to be covered by the two-year-old funding.
It also raised concerns about the plan to allow parents to take the free entitlement between 7am and 7pm, because ten hours was too long for such young children.
The National Day Nurseries Association said it was essential that funding reached 'the frontline' and that two-year-old funding should be ringfenced within the Dedicated Schools Grant.
Chief executive Purnima Tanuku said, 'The funding allocated to early years provision must reach the frontline; otherwise, it is not sustainable for many nurseries to participate.
'This could become a particular problem with the plans to expand places for two-year-olds from less advantaged backgrounds, due to the higher ratios required and additional needs that these families may have.'
Ms Tanuku added, 'The new draft guidance is streamlined, which is a positive step, but providers tell us they remain concerned at the variation in local conditions which add to red tape for nurseries and make application of the code inconsistent.'
