CYP Now - Opinion: A childcare consensus could be dangerous

As a campaigner, there's nothing worse than no-one taking an interest in your cause. So you'd think that when politicians start to gravitate to a campaign issue like bees to a honeypot, this would be cause for unconditional celebration. Oh no, such attention can bring its own dangers.

Take a look at what's currently happening. The unofficial election campaign has started and politicians are falling over themselves to make commitments to improve services for children. In particular, childcare looks set to be a key election issue. Labour has even devoted one of its six pledges to it. Now childcare ranks as important as core political issues such as health and education.

But as one political commentator noted last week, the virtue of childcare is also going to be its handicap. There seems little prospect of an ongoing debate about its value. No politician is prepared to argue against increased investment in the early years. Even the Conservatives have discovered that improving the support for working families is a key challenge.

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