Proposals also include replacing the Code of Practice for three-and four-year-olds with new guidance for local authorities to make it less prescriptive and bureaucratic.
At fewer than 20 pages, the new document would be much shorter and clearer than the Code of Practice, the consultation said, and would provide greater clarity about the free entitlement for two-, three- and four-year-olds and on securing sufficient chidlcare for working parents.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive, National Day Nurseries Association, said, 'The free entitlement has been the number one issue for NDNA members for some years and this consultation, including a review of the Code of Practice, is a positive step.
'The private, voluntary and independent sector will be critical in ensuring there is sufficient high-quality provision for local authorities to meet their duties to provide for all disadvantaged two-year-olds.
'The move to increase a "basket" of quality criteria that providers will need to meet to access funding must give providers recognition of achievements in Ofsted inspections and the flexibility to choose the quality improvement support that meets their needs.'
Neil Leitch, chief executive, Pre-school Learning Alliance, said, 'While we understand the Government's reasons for using the same criteria for free school meals to determine who these children are, not all needs can be measured purely in financial terms. Consideration should be given to other forms of hardship, such as children with additional needs.
'This would help to link the developing role of health visitors and early years practitioners in early intervention.
'The Alliance has concerns about the proposal to make the 15 hours more flexible so that it can run across two days instead of a minimum of three. Under the proposals a two-year-old child could spend up to 12 hours in an early years setting in a single day. This is clearly inappropriate.
'We also have concerns about the impact that greater flexibility of hours could have on staffing and the viability of provision.
Anand Shukla, chief executive of Daycare Trust, said the extension to teh most disadvantaged two-year-olds was 'tremendously significant. We are pleased to see proposals to make the entitlement more flexible. As our research shows, while there are currently high levels of take-up of the free entitlement, many disadvantaged families do not use the whole 15 hours they are entitled to, because it does not fit with parents' working patterns.
'By allowing it to be used over a minimum of two days rather than three, and from 7am to 7pm, both parents and children stand to benefit.'
KEY QUESTIONS IN THE CONSULTATION
- Should eligibility for two-year-olds be based on criteria used to identify children entitled to free school meals?
The Government proposes that children with special educational needs or disabilities should be the first priority when considering securing additional free early education places.
- Should priority be given to children with SEN or disabilities, children in need, children identified by health visitors, or by work in children's centres, and service children?
- Once they take up a place, should a child remain entitled to it until they are eligible for the FE for three-year-olds, regardless of the family's circumstances?
- What are the key challenges for LAs and providers in securing sufficient places of good quality early education for disadvantaged two-year-olds?
Greater flexibility
Do you support the proposal that:
- the FE could be taken between 7am and 7pm?
- the FE could be taken over two days a week, not three?
Would you like to see any other changes to the guidance to improve take-up and/or flexibility?
Quality
The consultation asks for comments on the proposed eligibility criteria, which would come into force from 2012 for all three- and four-year-olds and 2013 for two-year-olds:
- Ofsted inspection rating
- Internal LA quality assessment
- participation in a quality improvement programme
- workforce qualifications
- participation in a recognised peer-to-peer support network, eg. childminding network.
