The week began with a packed hall of Liberal Democrats overwhelminglyvoting in a children's policy that puts a renewed emphasis on familyrelationships (Children Now, 20-26 September). However, some activistsdisagreed, warning that the policy simply mimicked what Labour wasalready doing and it was "reinventing the wheel".
So where do the Liberal Democrats differ? Annette Brooke MP, itschildren's spokeswoman, who developed the party's Stronger Families,Brighter Futures policy document, says she supports the Government's10-year strategy on childcare. "However we're not convinced all isworking well on the ground. We would approach the whole situation in aslightly different way."
Providers are struggling with quality and sustainability, she says.Therefore, to give providers more certainty, she'd give subsidies tochildcare providers directly, rather than parents. This supply-sidemodel has already made 3,000 childcare places more affordable in pilotsrun by the London Development Agency.
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