Government commits to childcare places for all parents

Local authorities will be legally required to provide sufficient
childcare for parents under plans announced by the government
today, writes Amy Taylor.

The announcement takes forward the government’s commitment to
legislate to ensure adequate childcare is available in the ten-year
child care strategy published last December.

The new duty on councils will be contained in a childcare bill in
this parliamentary session. The bill will also reform the childcare
and early years regulation framework to reduce bureaucracy.

Children’s minister Beverly Hughes also launched a child care
consultation which takes forward other commitments made in the
strategy.

The new childcare legislation is expected to be in place by
2008.

The consultation document is available from: www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations
and closes in early October.

 

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