Alliance reacts to ratios debate
The Early Years Alliance has issued a comment in response to the debate held in Westminster Hall on 14 November, on the government's proposed ratio changes/
Commenting Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance:
“It is extremely frustrating that more than two months since the consultation has closed, the government has still not reached a decision on whether or not to listen to the deafening and united opposition from the sector and families alike against plans to relax early years ratios.
“The government knows, that relaxing ratios will do untold damage to the sector, and yet ministers continue to waste time and resources on this unsafe, ridiculous and ill-thought-out proposal.
“The arguments put forward in this afternoon’s debate clearly showed there is simply no case to change ratios. As such, we hope against hope the government will finally recognise that far from solving the so-called ‘childcare crisis’, relaxing ratios will only make an already-dire situation even worse.
“Time and time again the sector has urged the government to rethink this policy, but so far, these calls have fallen on deaf ears. We once again urge the government to rethink this retrograde policy as a matter of urgency, before it does irreparable and catastrophic damage to the early years sector.”