Children's centres must involve childminders more
Ross Watson
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The National Childminding Association (NCMA) has urged children's centres to do more to involve childminders, after research suggested only a superficial involvement in many centres.
A NCMA survey of 193 children's centres across England showed that, although 93 per cent of centres are working with registered childminders (up from 91 per cent in 2007), only 22 per cent train childminders alongside children's centre staff, compared with 52 per cent in 2007.
Twenty per cent of centres provided no training for childminders and only 15 per cent invited childminders to meetings with centre staff.
"The report contains a number of encouraging findings, not least that more and more children's centres are recognising the benefits of working with childminders and the services they can offer to parents and families," said Andrew Fletcher, joint chief executive of NCMA. "However, we haven't made as much progress as we might have hoped to transform this engagement into genuine partnerships."
The findings have come in the same week that the Brambles Children's Centre in Wokingham banned childminders from its free family play sessions. Rob Stanton, executive member for children's services at Wokingham Borough Council, defended the move.
"While we recognise the need to work in partnership with other professionals such as childminders, the centres must give priority to local families at dedicated play sessions," he said.
"However, childminders and nannies do not miss out. There are exclusive sessions for them running every week across the borough. The council is keen to support them and, by offering them dedicated sessions, the children they care for have the chance to use the centre's play facilities free of charge," he added.
