Not enough recognition for those working in the early year’s sector
With the Childcare Bill looming many professionals working in the early year’s sector are feeling less positive. From this September 8 areas will be piloting the new extended free childcare allowance and then from September 2017 this will be rolled out across the other counties. There are many questions left unanswered, one very important question is How will the early years workforce be able to cope with this?
For parents this is a great welcome as this will help thousands of families with childcare issues, but for childcare providers, there is a hesitation in whether this scheme will actually work. With this new scheme being introduced there will be an increasing demand on practitioners and poor levels of pay, leading to professionals becoming de-motivated and the early years workforce coming to a halt.
The aim of doubling the free entitlement is to help families who are struggling with paying for childcare; the government have announced an increase in the amount of funding offered to settings. Many settings are still not happy with the amount offered, leaving a shortfall for nurseries to pay themselves. Childcare providers are very uncertain as to whether the new amount of funding will actually reach them; if this is the case it will prevent many settings being able to provide high-quality care.
Working in childcare is not as easy as people think, it is not the best-paid job but without people working in childcare, children will not get the quality start in life they deserve. Many families need childcare in order to go out to work and earn a living, therefore those working in the early sector should get the recognition they deserve.
As government have announced the plans to double the free entitlement as early as this September for some areas, government are going to require a skilful highly qualified workforce to deliver their scheme.