How can the number of childcare places be doubled without sacrificing quality? Jennifer Taylor investigates.

Finding a childcare place can be a nightmare. Finding a good one can be even more of a task. Take Essex mum Sue Allison, who has two children: Meg, aged 6, and Harry, 3. "In an ideal world I would look after the children myself but it's just not an option," she says.

When the time came to return to work after having Meg, Allison found it hard to locate a childminder who could provide a high standard of care.

"I had a list of childminders, so I rang around but some didn't have spaces. Then I spoke to a local childminder, Jackie Wilson. I felt comfortable with her but she didn't have space for months, so I went to see a couple of others. In the end, I made arrangements with my work and waited until Jackie could take my daughter."

Parents across the UK are facing similar challenges. According to The Childcare Trap: why London Needs Affordable Childcare for all its Children, a report commissioned by London mayor Ken Livingstone, only one-third of the working mothers who need childcare in the capital can find a place.

Expansion plans

The Government aims to double the number of childcare places from 750,000 in 1997 to 1.5 million by 2006. However, this will not help if the increase is at the expense of quality.

While local authorities in England still retain statutory responsibilities for providing information on childcare, the regulation of childminding and daycare for children under eight comes under the auspices of education inspectorate Ofsted's early years directorate. This registers and inspects services, including childminders, and can investigate complaints if a service does not meet the minimum national standards.

These standards are produced by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and cover 14 areas, including child protection procedures and record keeping. But the national standards are only a minimum benchmark. A DfES consultation in March 2002 found parents wanted more information about the quality of services. It also found childcare providers saw effective quality assurance as a way to raise standards.

Proof that quality assurance schemes work is offered by the Effective Provision of Pre-school Education project, funded by the DfES, which shows good pre-school education boosts children's development and is particularly beneficial for disadvantaged children.

Local authorities have two targets. They must ensure at least 40 per cent of providers have been accredited by a quality assurance scheme by 2004 and 94 per cent of early years settings inspected by Ofsted have improved.

And if the Government's target of doubling the number of childcare places is to be met, the standards must apply to an expanding workforce.

A better qualified workforce

The Daycare Trust's report Beyond Caring: the Case for Reforming the Childcare and Early Years Workforce, published in April 2003, says young women with low qualifications have traditionally been attracted to these posts. But a more qualified workforce is needed to provide integrated services that combine education with childcare. To this end, an early years practice foundation degree has been developed.

However, parents and providers can find it difficult to take decisions when there are so many schemes on offer. The DfES runs ChildcareLink, whose call handlers find out what parents want before providing them with a shortlist of local childcare providers.

Anstey Brierley, children's information services officer at Hampshire County Council, believes Investors in Children will simplify this process.

This Sure Start initiative aims to help providers choose the best quality assurance schemes and assist parents in identifying quality childcare. To achieve Investors in Children status, quality assurance schemes must meet 10 criteria in areas such as mentoring.

"We should be able to tell parents that providers have a scheme that meets Investors in Children criteria. We can then explain the initiative, rather than having to promote all the different schemes, which is confusing," she says.

Sheffield's Quality Kitemark is one of 25 schemes endorsed by Investors in Children. Christine Goldsack, Sheffield Quality Kitemark national co-ordinator at the city council, says: "The Government should want to regulate quality schemes. Providers prefer to complete a scheme that has been endorsed by Investors in Children."

She has doubts, however: "We expected Investors in Children to bring greater consistency in the content of assurance schemes but it focuses on procedures rather than content."

Goldsack points out that while Investors in Children standards have to be linked to national standards she feels schemes should go beyond them.

"There is little emphasis on the importance of working with parents and carers," she continues. "Diversity and inclusion should have more emphasis."

Even with these reservations the Sheffield scheme has been a success and has been adapted to create other schemes, such as the Stockton-on-Tees Quality Kitemark.

Sue Marshall, early years education co-ordinator and leader of the quality assurance team, helped choose the Sheffield scheme as a benchmark. "We wanted something that had a direct impact on children," she explains, "so we disregarded schemes that were very paper-based."

The Sheffield scheme fitted the bill because it included observations in the rooms and involved all staff.

Daycare settings, playgroups, after-school clubs and childminders have been through the process. Marshall says while the process is arduous - providers have to work through a 200-page document - local authorities must make quality a priority. "It takes up a lot of our time," she admits, "but it is such a good tool for making changes."

Introducing initiatives

Although Investors in Children may simplify the quality assurance maze, some schemes that have not yet been endorsed are also improving standards.

One is The National Childminding Association's Children Come First initiative for childminding networks, which comprise registered childminders monitored by a co-ordinator, who provides support and arranges cover.

There are more than 200 childminding networks across England and Wales and nearly 140 have Children Come First approval.

A benefit of being part of the scheme is childminders can be accredited to deliver early years education and draw nursery education grants for eligible three- and four-year-olds. This means parents, if they prefer, need not send their child to a nursery. But it is the ongoing assessment that makes Children Come First stand out; childminders are monitored every six to eight weeks.

"It gives parents peace of mind," says Wilson, who is part of a Children Come First network in Colchester, Essex. And Allison is convinced Harry gets a better service. "I feel secure leaving Harry and Meg with Jackie," she says.

TELL ME MORE

- ChildcareLink 0800 096 0296 www.childcarelink.gov.uk

- National Childminding Association 0800 169 4486, www.ncma.org.uk

- Department for Education and Skills parent centre: www.parentcentre.gov.uk

- Early years practice foundation degree www.foundationdegree.org.uk

- Daycare Trust 020 7840 3350, www.daycaretrust.org.uk

CASE STUDY

Phoenix Montessori Nursery School and Day Nursery, Kings Lynn, displays the mark of quality

The nursery school completed the Norfolk Quality Kitemark, endorsed by Investors in Children, in December. Having already received Investors in People accreditation and the local mayor's award for business, it could afford to be choosy about quality assurance schemes. Principal Clare Harris chose the Norfolk scheme because it provides support from local mentors.

Meeting challenges

The Kitemark has eight units and all 28 staff answered questions while parents provided statements. A mentor checked the evidence and helped staff tackle challenges, such as how to handle children with behaviour problems. An external verifier double-checked the documents and evidence.

"It led to lots of useful discussion," says Harris. "It was time consuming but fun." It took a year to complete the Kitemark and changes have been made along the way. The school drew up a food policy, which covers issues such as celebrations and snacks. Parents were offered progress reports in the nursery's newsletter. "It was helpful to get it down on paper so we could show the parents," Harris adds.

One direct benefit is babies will have their own area in the garden.

Claire Kelly, leader in the baby room, says: "With the older children around, you have to be more careful. However, the fenced-off area will give the babies more freedom."

Jaswinder Sira sends her two boys to the school and says the quality is evident. The food is freshly cooked, the staff are polite and make an effort to pronounce her children's names correctly. "Rajveer and Tanveer love going there," she says.