Market forces alone are not the answer

By Steve Alexander, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance There are few more curious notions than that of the 'childcare market'. The Government and policy-makers often talk of 'market forces' dictating everything from the supply of services to pay rates for staff. But the early years and childcare sector is not a free market in the economic sense of the word, and nor should it be. It is a highly configured sector with a series of barriers to entry.