The government is again facing criticism over proposals for early years childcare. Those raising concerns include Oldham Labour’s Councillor Leanne Munroe, lead for Early Years at Oldham Council. Earlier this year the Government consulted on changes to the ratio of staff:children in childcare settings to allow more children to be cared for by each member of staff. Along with organisations representing day care providers, Oldham Labour opposed this change saying there was no evidence this would make childcare cheaper while putting extra pressure on poorly paid staff and potentially making it less safe for the children being cared for.
Councillor Leanne Munroe, who wrote to every childcare provider in Oldham during the consultation, alerting them to the proposals, said ‘it is being reported that the Government is trying to find money to pay for their disastrous “fiscal event” by putting free childcare and safety standards under threat. The Government childcare plans put children at risk. Ideas have been floated including removing staff ratios altogether; taking childminders out of the EYFS framework; removing the need to register with and be inspected by Ofsted,or abolishing free childcare altogether. The early years sector is already under huge pressure, struggling to cope with staff shortages as well as the impact of inflation and steep rises in gas and electricity. England has some of the most expensive childcare in Europe. Many parents in effect pay to work once they have used their free hours as childcare costs more than their hourly wage. I urge the Government not to go down this road which threatens the future of many day care providers.’
Councillor Munroe’s worries are shared by the Early Years Alliance and the National Day Nurseries Association.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said that scrapping early years ratios completely would be “devastating” for the sector and for families. He added that “it will greatly increase safeguarding concerns and sacrifice safety in settings”, which “cannot justify any benefits the government may be imagining”.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of National Day Nurseries Association, said: “With two-year-olds now coming into nursery impacted by Covid restrictions, they are needing more support with language acquisition and social skills than ever before. This is not the time to reduce the numbers of qualified practitioners who are working really hard to help them.
“Instead of forging ahead with this doomed plan in an effort to save money, the government must have the foresight to invest more in our youngest children to save further investment in their later education.”
Councillor Munroe added ‘We haven’t had the results of the earlier consultation on ratios, and I call on the Government to publish them before it makes any more proposals. As the Truss Government does not have an electoral mandate for any of these far-reaching changes, they must also consult parents and early years professionals before making any decisions. Trying to balance the books by putting children at risk is unacceptable.
I share the children’s commissioner’s view that what the sector needs is a transformative and ambitious vision for early education, in which childcare is accessible and affordable for all, not more tinkering around the edges.
