Letters

While the 100m for capital funding might persuade more nurseriesand childminders to offer two-year-old places, the thing which makes meso sad is that the real investment needs to go into salaries. A greatbuilding is no use at all if you have low-paid, financially strugglingstaff. My setting now welcomes two-year-olds, but the funding does notcover the staffing costs and another bit of kit funded by a capitalgrant will not make this situation any better. We are continuallypressured to raise quality, rightly so, but we have had no increase inour income for three years from our local county council. And when weask for advice they suggest we are overstaffed and should run sessionswith only two staff members. Stacking shelves at the local supermarketfor more per hour often seems very tempting.

Mary Richards, the Duchy Pre-school & Playgroup, Exeter.

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LISTEN TO THE SECTOR

The Government's announcement of an additional 100m investment inearly years is very welcome but like others I question the need for morenice new shiny buildings or extensions. Certainly investment in salariesis what is really needed.

I recently attended an NDNA consultation with a representative from theGovernment's Childcare Commission and approximately 20 nurseryowner/managers, during which there was a 'straw poll' of occupancylevels. The result was that the vast majority of settings reportedoccupancy levels of less than 90 per cent. The NDNA's own survey earlythis year showed that there were many nurseries teetering on the edge ofa financial abyss with occupancy levels at below 70 per cent.

While these are national figures and only a straw poll, these low levelsof occupancy might not be reflected in the areas where the largestnumbers of disadvantaged two-year-olds live, but has the Government doneany work on this? Or is it a case, as in the past, where governmentschuck large sums of money at something without evaluating the outcome.Remember it was not long ago that Government was criticised by its ownfinancial watchdog, the National Audit Commission, for not knowing wherethe money went when it came to early years.

The Government is right to invest in early years but it needs to talk tothose directly involved in running early years provision to find outwhat they want, not what the Government thinks they want.

Organisations such as the NDNA, PLA and NCMA are ready, willing and ableto help Government target its spending on early years to achieve thebest outcomes for children.

Ken McArthur, Polly Anna's Nursery, York.

START BY LOOKING AT WHAT WORKS

The 100m capital funding is to attract new providers to the earlyyears and childcare sector and support existing providers to expandtheir services. All very laudable but ... there have been similarcapital funding streams in the past. The last one was to makeimprovements to premises, provide outdoor space, etcetera. There were anumber of issues local authorities faced in allocating the monies, suchas planning permission and spending restrictions. I imagine they willface similar issues with this capital funding.

I would also question on what basis the 100m capital has beencalculated? We know that an estimated 100,000 places will be required bySeptember 2014 but does the Department really know how many places fortwo-year-olds currently exist, and how many new places need to becreated? I think much of the need could be met from existing provision,and providers would be keener to offer places if sufficient revenue wasfound to fund the free entitlement.

In addition, there are many children's centres sitting idle for most ofthe day due to lack of funding, many of these based in areas wheredisadvantaged two-year-olds live. Surely with adequate revenue fundingthese could provide additional places?

I am also concerned that this injection of capital funding will notreach the PVIs which may want to provide additional places fordisadvantaged two-year-olds, but will be allocated to boost themaintained sector's budgets.

The Government has got this wrong. In the first instance it needs tolook at revenue that adequately funds two-, three- and four-year-oldplaces.

Denise Burke, United for All Ages, Norwich.

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