Over the past few years, it has been clear that day nurseries have been on the increase, pre-school numbers have fallen, partly as some have extended their hours to offer full daycare, and childminders have been dropping out of the sector. Out-of-school clubs proliferated at one stage, but their growth then stalled.
So it is disappointing and somewhat puzzling that the new format from Ofsted giving figures to the end of December 2008 makes it impossible to gain a detailed breakdown by type of provider (see News, page 4).
The report now groups providers as 'childminders'; 'childcare on non-domestic premises', covering full daycare, sessional care, out-of-school clubs and creches; 'childcare on domestic premises', ie more than three childminders in a home; and 'home childcarers', that is, nannies on the Voluntary Childcare Register.
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