London charity Westminster Children's Society and national childcare charity Daycare Trust were reacting to the closure of two nurseries in the capital. The Happy Times nursery group was forced to close its Fulham and Battersea branches, leaving 167 children without places and putting at least 45 members of staff out of work.
"As the government decided to bail out the banking system in the future interest of our economy, something needs to be done in the future interest of our society," said June O'Sullivan, chief executive of WCS.
The society is calling for equal Nursery Education Grants for schools and private, voluntary and independently run early years settings to be established in April next year instead of in 2010 as currently proposed. It also wants a national equivalent of London's Childcare Affordability Programme, which subsidises nursery places, and increased graduate subsidies to fund training and reduce core costs.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
