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The government’s strategy of expanding pre-school care for three to five-year-olds is endorsed by the Institute for Education’s study confirming its value to children’s cognitive and social development - especially disadvantaged children.

Yet the biggest obstacle to building a child care workforce capable of meeting the government’s agenda is the pay and conditions staff are expected to accept. The extra money needed cannot be left for parents to find. Despite tax and benefit incentives, the cost of child care is still prohibitive to many. Government plans to increase investment in early years services to £1.5bn by 2005-6 and to concentrate the funding in disadvantaged neighbourhoods through Sure Start and Children’s Centres are right. But if the strategy is to succeed the government must confront labour market realities. All the recruitment campaigns in the world will fail if the jobs on offer do not pay a wage that reflects the skill required.