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Over 100 MPs 'send a clear message of support to the childcare workforce'

NEWS RELEASE

19 October 2004

Over 100 MPs 'send a clear message of support to the childcare workforce'

Over 100 Members of Parliament have pledged their support for the early years and childcare workforce by signing a House of Commons Early Day Motion.

EDM 1454 – changing lives, changing life recognises the crucial role that childcare workers play in providing quality learning and development for young children and calls on Government to do more to recruit and retain an enlarged, trained workforce.

The Motion is part of the Pre-school Learning Alliance's national changing lives, changing life campaign. A manifesto for reform, Meeting the Workforce Challenge calls for a new approach to the workforce, including:

Steve Alexander, Chief Executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance said:

"The number of signatures illustrates the considerable cross party parliamentary support for a workforce strategy that recognises the contribution that those working in childcare make to the lives of children and their families. I would like to thank all the MPs that have signed the Motion and encourage others to do so. As well as demonstrating important parliamentary backing, the Motion sends a clear message of support to those working in early years and childcare settings.

There remains a great deal of work to do by all partners, including Government and providers to ensure that future expansion of childcare is not undermined by an under resourced workforce".

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Andrew Fletcher
Pre-school Learning Alliance
T: 020 7278 9037
Out of hours press calls: 07979 531 130
E: Andrew Fletcher

Notes for Editors:

  1. The Pre-school Learning Alliance links 15,000 pre-schools and 500,000 young children and their families in England. Established in 1961 and registered as an educational charity, the Alliance is the national dimension of the pre-school movement. The charity is involved in more Sure Start projects than any other organisation and operates a number of Neighbourhood Nurseries. For information about the Pre-school Learning Alliance, visit our website: www.pre-school.org.uk.
  2. Meeting the Workforce Challenge forms part of the charity's changing lives, changing life campaign, which seeks to give all children the best start in life. For further information, please contact the Campaigns Team on 020 7833 0991 or email changinglives@pre-school.org.uk
  3. Text of Early Day Motion 1454:

    That this House warmly congratulates the Pre-school Learning Alliance, whose 100,000 pre-school staff provide childcare for some 500,000 children; takes note of the longstanding commitment of the pre-school movement to help children to succeed, to create the childcare that families need and to build learning communities; acknowledges the need to create a sustainable workforce within the childcare and early years sector; and calls on the Government to work with its partners to encourage more people to join the childcare and early years workforce, to recognise the valuable role of volunteers in the childcare workforce, to offer a variety of routes to qualifications to meet individuals' learning needs and personal circumstances within a national framework, to invest in providing basic skills training to enable those entering the profession to make the best of their skills and abilities and to work towards establishing an equitable pay structure to include all early years' professionals that recognises and rewards levels of qualification and responsibility.

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