The news last week was welcomed by the National Childminding Association (NCMA) but criticised by the National Day Nurseries Association.
Education and equal opportunities minister Margaret Hodgsaid last Friday, 'We can't afford to lose people from this profession at a time when we are seeking to expand it, especially in disadvantaged areas. Many childminders in these areas face problems when children in their care move on to school or out of the area. If these places go unfilled for too long, many stop childminding and seek alternative employment.'
The Government plans to spend 3.5m, some of which is from the European Social Fund, over two years on bridging grants of up to 100 a week over a five-week period for childminders in deprived areas who are going through difficult times. The areas chosen are the bottom 20 per cent of the Department for the Environment, Transport and Regions' multiple deprivation index, or an area of equivalent disadvantage within a more affluent area.
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