CYP Now - Analysis: Childcare - The information service challenge

The Childcare Bill contains measures that would require a big increase in the amount of information local authorities must provide to parents. Jo Stephenson looks at whether councils are ready to rise to the challenge these proposals will bring.

Draft laws propose to dramatically expand the information councils mustprovide to parents. But are they ready?

Local authorities have less than two years to prepare for a new duty toprovide information, advice and help to parents. They are alreadyrequired to give information on childcare and related services.Proposals in the Childcare Bill will expand this to encompass all theinformation a parent could want on services for them and their childrenaged up to 20.

For some authorities it will be a massive leap, says the NationalAssociation for Children's Information Services. The association's chiefexecutive Karen Ramshaw reckons one in five councils will have noproblem because they're already providing excellent information. Afurther 30 to 40 per cent will be ready when the duty comes into forcein April 2008. But the rest will struggle.

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