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Partnership working must be monitored, says Alliance as it responds to the Childcare Bill Consultation

NEWS RELEASE

7 October 2005

Partnership working must be monitored, says Alliance as it responds to the Childcare Bill Consultation

Government must monitor local authority partnership working from the outset if it is to secure genuine choice and flexibility for parents, the Pre-school Learning Alliance said today.

Responding formally to the Department for Education and Skills consultation on the Childcare Bill, the charity warned of the potential damage that could be done to the vibrancy and diversity of the childcare sector if local authorities are not supported and monitored in the delivery of their new early years duty. The Alliance recommends that the government establish an independent body to monitor the efficacy of local authority partnership working.

The charity also warns that the proposed changes to the inspection and regulation regime undermine the objective of safeguarding children and urges the government to look again at the deregulation of extended childcare.

Speaking as the Alliance submitted its response, Chief Executive Steve Alexander said

"The new duty on local authorities is one of the most important recent developments in the provision of childcare. It is crucial that local authorities form strategic partnerships with local providers from the voluntary, private and community providers, to ensure parents are offered real choice."

"But there is little point in assessing partnership working retrospectively, as part of wider assessments. By then, funding will be allocated and services developed and, in areas where partnership is not embraced, existing services may have closed. Government must take the opportunity to monitor from the outset, to support authorities in delivering what are ambitious targets."

"There is also universal unease that proposals to effectively deregulate care for 5-8 year-olds will undermine the objective of safeguarding children. We are not convinced that a voluntary childcare register for settings offering care to children over five is the best way to protect children and drive up quality within early years settings. We urge the government to look again at these proposals as a matter of urgency".

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Andrew Fletcher
Pre-school Learning Alliance
T: 020 7833 0991
Out of hours press calls: 07979 531 130
E: Andrew Fletcher

Notes for Editors:

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