Analysis: Making childcare a vote winner

Children's secretary Ed Balls' confident claim to be creating a 'new frontier of the welfare state' as he outlined Labour's ambitions for childcare in a policy insight paper, published by the Daycare Trust, was already crumbling when it was launched last week.

The Government's 2008 Pre-Budget Report prompted the Conservatives to question whether spending cuts had halted Labour's pledge to provide free early learning for all two-year-olds. The Pre-Budget Report also appeared to back down from the Government's goal of extending free childcare provision for three- and four-year-olds to 20 hours a week (see News, page 4).

In the paper, Childcare futures, Mr Balls states that there has been significant progress in the early years during the four years since the Ten-Year Childcare Strategy was published, and reveals that the Government will publish a 'refreshed' ten-year strategy later this month. This document is to particularly focus on ensuring childcare provision is of high quality.

He states, 'We need to build on the Early Years Foundation Stage and create a genuinely world-class early years workforce, which is highly skilled and professional at every level.'

CONSERVATIVES

The opposition parties also reveal their views on the future of childcare in the policy paper. Maria Miller, shadow minister for the family, states that Conservative leader David Cameron has a vision for Britain 'to be the most family-friendly country in the world'.

She is critical of the speed at which the Government expanded childcare places. 'Too little attention was paid to how this would affect those already providing care for children in the community. Reforms to the childcare sector should be adding to existing provision, not undermining it.'

Ms Miller wants to address the current drop in childminders, to avoid damaging childcare choices for parents by lifting the burden of 'unnecessary, complex regulation and administration' and giving more support to formal childminding networks. She also proposes:

- developing a local funding formula along with increased early years representation on local schools forums to resolve issues around funding for free entitlement for three- and four-year-olds and halt the decline in childcare places

- a right to request flexible working for parents with children up to the age of 18;

- allowing parents freedom to choose style of childcare, rather than forcing all settings to follow the EYFS (News, page 3);

- Sure Start should work harder to support disadvantaged families, and professionalise outreach to these families through the use of health visitors.

She advises the Government, as part of its current tax credit review, to look at how employers are handling childcare costs through salary sacrifice schemes. 'The scheme is simple to run and administer. Little surprise that uptake is growing.'

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg questions the 'overly prescriptive EYFS' and says childcare practitioners get a 'raw deal'. He writes, 'The people who guide us through those early years are not celebrated for their tireless efforts and the invaluable contribution they make. Instead, they are persistently demeaned by a low-wage culture, and overburdened with pointless regulation that puts greater emphasis on their ability to fill in forms than to look after children.'

He says Labour has put pressure on them through 'unreasonable expectations' and inadequacies in training. He calls for the EYFS to be replaced with a less target-driven framework that would reduce the amount of paperwork for practitioners. Mr Clegg also calls for:

- All nurseries to be led by a graduate leader, appropriately trained as an early years specialist teacher;

- All staff to be trained to NVQ level 3 and to receive continuous professional development;

- Children's centres to act as hubs to train and spread best practice;

- All staff trained in the needs of disabled children;

- A system of 'locally negotiated wage floors' to ensure a fair balance of pay across the sector.

Daycare Trust joint chief executives Alison Garnham and Emma Knights conclude the paper by acknowledging the investment and progress made in the childcare sector in the past five years. But they add, 'Further investment, including staff pay, could play a significant role in stimulating the economy. And recession is a good time to invest in public services to create jobs and sustain parental employment.'

FURTHER INFORMATION

'Childcare Futures' is available at www.daycaretrust.org.uk