Local authorities have just one year to significantly increase the provision of free childcare or fall short of a new legal duty imposed by the coalition.
The requirement to provide 20 per cent of two-year-olds with 15 hours of free early education a week from March 2013 – rising to 40 per cent or 260,000 children by 2014 – means authorities face the difficult task of rapidly increasing capacity, in some cases by thousands of places.
But space does not provide the only challenge. The specific needs of disadvantaged two-year-olds require a lower staff-to-child ratio and demand different skills from practitioners.
Simply extending the provision of those already delivering the entitlement to three- and four-year-olds will not suffice, even if the funds allow it.
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
