Commenting on the launch of a consultation on additional support
for childminders, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance,
said:
“It is extremely disappointing that today’s consultation does not
include plans to allow childminding professionals to claim early
entitlement funding for related children. This is something which
has been long called for by the sector and which would have
brought childminders in line with the rest of the sector, and so
it is difficult to understand why the government has chosen not
to even consult on a potential change to this policy.
“On top of this, proposals to water down requirements for
childminding agencies are extremely concerning and misguided.
Given the inherent conflict of interest within the agency model,
there is a real risk that such a proposal will drive down quality
and unfairly undermine the professionalism of this key section of
the early years workforce.
“That said, we welcome plans to encourage monthly payments from
local authorities. Such a change would help ease cash flow
concerns and provide much-needed financial certainty, though we
would urge the government to ensure that such a policy is applied
to all early years providers, rather than limiting it to
childminders.
“Ultimately, however, if the government truly wants to show it
values this vital part of the sector and encourage high-quality
childminder professionals to both join and remain in the sector,
it must commit to properly funding them – along with the rest of
the sector – and implement long-term support which acknowledges
and values the crucial role they play in children’s care,
education and development.”
Commenting on the confirmation of when applications
for the September phase of the entitlement opens Neil
said:
“Today’s confirmation of when applications for the next phase of
the entitlement opens may suggest that the policy is on track,
yet the reality is likely to paint a very different
picture.
“Even before the expansion was announced, the early years sector
was struggling due to years of underfunding and the worst
staffing crisis in decades. While the government may claim to be
addressing these challenges, we at the Alliance remain entirely
unconvinced, with our own research showing that even before the
first phase of the offer begins in a matter of weeks, more than
two thirds of settings are already full.
“The only way that this policy will come even close to being
workable in practice is if these longstanding funding, capacity
and staffing issues are properly addressed. Confirming when
families will be able to apply for the next phase of the
entitlement will be entirely pointless if early years settings
don’t have the capacity and support to be able to deliver the
places families need.”
