'Smack and smoke' defended by Hodge

James Tweed
Wednesday, May 9, 2001

Registerd childminders are to be allowed by the Government to smack the children in their care and to smoke in their presence with parental permission, under the national standards for daycare and childminding in England, Margaret Hodge confirmed last week. The equal opportunities and employment minister said there would be no changes to what has been announced already regarding the national standards, which the Department for Education and Employment expects to publish sometime this week. This means that from September, as well as childminders being allowed to smack and smoke, daycare managers and all in supervisory roles must hold a level 3 qualification appropriate to caring for children, with those in charge of baby rooms to have in addition two years' experience with that age group, and at least half of the remaining staff qualified to level 2.