Free places for two-year-olds debated

Speaking at the Daycare Trust's annual conference in London last week, she said she wanted to persuade delegates that change brought 'enormous opportunity' and that Government policy would reflect a long-term approach to achieving the best for children.

'We know disadvantaged children are particularly sensitive to the quality of offer and we want to find out how we get that quality right,' she said. 'There will be a basket of new measures to define quality. Local authorities need to plan ahead over the next 12 months to increase their capacity.'

Gavin Barber from Oxfordshire County Council expressed concern that entitlement to free school meals was being used as the criteria for places. He said, 'To be successful this needs to be responsive to families' needs, and to tie it specifically to financial criteria is risky and can stigmatise a child before they start school.'

Ms Teather countered that there should be 'head room' for local authorities to prioritise other families, and she hoped they would be encouraged to give disabled children a better offer.

Kate Peach, managing director at Early Years Childcare, asked how the Government would remedy the shortfall in funding to give places to children with additional needs, a fact which has been evident in the pilots.

Ms Teather said, 'Local authorities have a legal duty to carry out statementing for children under five. We hope our new statementing process will make improvements to the support available.'