Last week the Chancellor allocated up to 1.5bn to childcare, early education and Sure Start, so it may seem ungracious to question the likelihood of this sum being spent efficiently. While rationalising the ministerial responsibility for these three areas into one inter-departmental unit is welcome, as is devolving greater funding and responsibility for delivery to local government, such reforms in themselves will not speed up the creation of a sustainable system of quality services.
The underspend on Sure Start budgets demonstrates the challenges in building robust provision that makes a real difference to disadvantaged children. How different the outlook for this and other public services would seem if, rather than having to spend the money within defined timescales, they were allowed to invest certain sums for future revenue purposes.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
