London mayor announces early years hubs to launch this month
Neil Puffett
Monday, January 8, 2018
Three early years hubs that link up schools, nurseries and childminders will be launched in London this month, it has been announced.
London mayor Sadiq Khan, who first announced plans for the initiative last year, said the three hubs will be set up in Newham, Wandsworth & Merton and Barnet.
The hubs, which are intended to boost take-up of early-years education and childcare support entitlements, to make more children ready to start school, and enable more parents to seek work, are being funded with £600,000 of Greater London Authority money over the next three years.
They are being tasked with supporting quality early years practice and engaging with families to improve access for the most disadvantaged. They may also provide childcare out of normal working hours and support children with special educational needs and disabilities, as well as promoting careers in early-years education.
Last year around 58 per cent of eligible two-year-olds took up a free early education place in London, compared with 71 per cent nationally. The hubs are being launched in areas where take-up of the free places is lower than the London average.
Sadiq Khan, said: "Every child in London deserves the best start in life and should be able to benefit from all the opportunities our great city has to offer. Too often, in early years education, it is the most disadvantaged children who miss out.
"That's why I want to improve both the quality and access to early years provision for all children. Through these Early Years Hubs, and by working with our partners across London, we can ensure that no child is left behind and that all families have the support they need for their children to thrive."
Ellen Broomé, chief executive of the Family and Childcare Trust, said: "Childcare is as vital as the rails and roads to making our country run: it boosts children's outcomes, supports parents to work and provides our economy with a reliable workforce. It can help mothers - who are less likely to work in London than other parts of the country - to balance work and care.
"Evidence shows that early education can only narrow the gap between children and their better-off peers when the quality is good enough. The mayor is right to take a strategic approach to childcare to support children, parents and businesses in London."
