Network criteria

Wednesday, January 7, 2004

The comment in the news story 'Networks "a success story"' (20 November) about childminding networks in England needing to be approved by the National Childminding Association is misleading. For this financial year, in order for local authorities to qualify for the 25,000 grant, the network does not necessarily have to be approved under the NCMA's quality assurance scheme, but rather, as the report states, 'be approved by the NCMA's quality standards as Children Come First networks or meet broadly similar criteria'. It is not mandatory for the network to be NCMA-approved.