Opinion: Editor's view

Of the plethora of policies and initiatives launched by the Government over the past 11 years or so, neighbourhood nurseries have to be the daftest. The three-year funding scheme to set up affordable daycare settings in deprived areas was always doomed to fail, because in many cases, the nurseries are just not sustainable once the funding runs out. The initiative was soon superseded by children's centres, but the fall-out is really beginning now. Turn to page 6 for three news stories involving neighbourhood nurseries that are closing, under threat or being taken over....