Alliance criticises government response to childminder agency consultation
11th August 2014
Commenting on the Department for Education’s response on the Childminder agencies and changes to the local authority role consultation, Alliance chief executive Neil Leitch said:
“We are disappointed by the lack of detail contained in the consultation response. As it stands, there is still very little clarity on how agencies will operate in practice, despite the fact that they are set to come into force in less than a month. The government response itself states that some of the draft childminder agency regulations ‘do not in themselves explain clearly what might be required of agencies and/or childminders registering with them’, and yet the Department for Education has seen fit to proceed with its plans regardless.
“The Department has said that it will provide further information on how agencies will operate in practice - as well as several other key issues such as expectations around CPD, support time and safeguarding arrangements - in its upcoming ‘departmental advice’ document, but this is all information that should have been included in the original consultation document.
“While we accept that agencies are now part of the legislative landscape, we remain concerned that the government is rushing to implement a model that is clearly flawed.”
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Notes for editors
- The Alliance’s Early Years Agenda survey revealed that only 3% of childminders are planning to join a childminder agency.
ABOUT THE ALLIANCE
- The Pre-school Learning Alliance is the largest voluntary sector provider of quality affordable childcare and education in England.
- Through direct provision and its membership of 14,000 nurseries, sessional pre-schools and parent and toddler groups, the Alliance supports over 800,000 children and their families in England. The Alliance also develops and runs family learning programmes, offers information and advice, runs acclaimed training and accreditation programmes and campaigns to influence early years policy and practice.
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