In My View – Dame Gillian Pugh
NCMA's new President, Dame Gillian Pugh, talks
about NCMA and childminding and her hopes for the future.
I am delighted to be writing this as the new President of the
National Childminding Association (NCMA). I have worked with the
organisation during its thirty year history and have seen first
hand how the nature and status of home-based childcare has changed
during that time.
Even when childcare became a government priority in 1997, the
childminding community was still perceived by many as “informal”
and somehow less professional than others offering childcare.
We have come a long way since then. The introduction of the
Early Years Foundation Stage in England means that registered
childminders are now considered equal in terms of professionalism
to other childcare providers. The establishment of quality assured
childminding networks has not only supported childminders to
improve their practice but has also provided a route for them to
deliver the free early education offer for 3- and 4-year-olds. The
recent childcare strategy review argues for all childcare workers
to reach at least a level 3 qualification, a principle that NCMA
and its members support.
However, there is a still a long way to go before we have a
truly integrated childcare sector, with home and group providers
viewed as different, but equal. Childminding networks must be
universally offered by every local authority and we need a clear
plan to ensure that all practitioners are supported with
appropriate training to achieve a level 3 qualification. This will
take time and money and a continued drive from government and the
Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) to keep quality
improvement on the agenda.
Above all, we need to continue to tackle the myths about
childminding and demonstrate the many benefits a home setting has
for children and families – the consistency of care in small family
groups and the variety of community based learning opportunities to
inspire and develop children.
This piece was published in Nursery World on 9 April 2009.