Voluntary sector provision will be put at risk unless authorities work in partnership, warns Alliance as the Childcare Bill is published
NEWS RELEASE
8 November 2005
Voluntary sector provision will be put at risk unless authorities work in partnership, warns Alliance as the Childcare Bill is published
The future of voluntary sector childcare providers will be threatened unless the government monitors local authority partnership working the Pre-school Learning Alliance said today. The stark warning, from the largest voluntary provider of early years education and care in England, came as the government published its Childcare Bill.
The proposed legislation places a new duty on local authorities to secure sufficient local childcare. While the government has made it clear that this must be fulfilled in partnership with private, voluntary and community providers, the Alliance is concerned that some local authorities will disregard partnership working if the guidance is not enforceable by government.
The Alliance is urging government to establish an independent monitoring body to oversee the implementation of the new duty. This function must oversee the auditing of existing local provision as well as monitoring the efficacy of partnership working between authorities and partners.
Alliance Chief Executive Steve Alexander said:
"It is crucial that, having made great strides in helping to improve the availability and quality of childcare, the government does not undermine the very provision upon which the improvements have been built. A diverse sector of provision managed by a wide range of providers drawn from the private, voluntary and community providers is integral to securing choice for parents".
"The new duty on local authorities is a crucial step on the road to meeting the government's ambitious plans set out in the ten-year strategy. While some authorities embrace partnership working, others are less enthusiastic. As a consequence, effective local partnerships will not develop universally unless the government produces clear, strong guidance to local authorities and retains powers of intervention where partnership working is disregarded".
"Importantly, this monitoring must take place from the outset. Retrospective assessment will be too late as services will have been developed, capital investment spent and existing, viable settings may have closed as a consequence of poor partnership working".
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:
- The Childcare Bill was published today. For more information visit www.parliament.uk or www.dfes.gov.uk
- 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.
- To view the Pre-school Learning Alliance’s full response to the Childcare Bill consultation, visit the News section of the website and follow the Policy link.