With the loss of childcare places, this is will only mean that children will not receive the early education they deserve. Places hit the most are the West Midlands, the South East and North West. The amount in nurseries closing is only going to increase and this is due to funding cuts. What can be done to help prevent nurseries from closing their doors?
It would be good to hear from nurseries who are already piloting the 30hours free childcare to hear how the increase in hours has affected them.
I don’t agree with how they are proposing the whole 30 hours system. Only needing to earn 16hrs on minimum wage a week to gain the 30 hours (I would like to see this raised to 20 hours). When it was introduced I though, yes! just what all those families that are in our nursery all day 4/5 days a week need. The more I read the more it seems it’s for those that yet again do the bare minimum to achieve all the benefits.
I heard on an article/news report that a nursery complaining that the number of spaces avaliable would now be reduced and that the 30 hours should be going to the children who need the eyfs support. I agree that some families need more support, but putting their children into childcare for longer is not going to help the root of the problem.
I believe that families that need more support, instead of giving them extended 15 hours why not have a program where parents are required to join their children for the extended hours in groups/settings where the parents can be involved in their child’s learning, giving the parents the skills, support and confidence to help the whole family.
This is a very valid point Mindy, perhaps those children and parents who need more support are being given the wrong type of support and should be receiving training rather than more hours in a setting.