EYFS REMOVES CHOICE
In your article 'Childminders drop out in advent of EYFS' (News, 15 May), I'd like to point out that this and the other issues highlighted are only part of the reason. I, and most other childminders I know, will be able to put this into practice, daunting and large though it is. The question is: why should I?
Childminding (home-based childcare) is not just a geographical location, but also an ethos and deeply held belief by those who practise it and those who seek it out, of a particular kind of learning experience and nurturing.
The parents who choose it are looking for a substitute for themselves and their home, with the same type of values and attitudes they hold. They require the kind of one-to-one, loving experience their child would have if they could stay at home. They place the social and emotional wellbeing of their child, the opportunity for him/her to remain in their community visiting local shops, parks, libraries, the school they will attend on a daily basis and making friends with the lollipop lady, checkout girl, and so forth. This is of more value and real benefit than all the observations and assessments we will be obliged to provide for Ofsted, local authorities and schools.
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