NCMA welcomes renewed commitment to childminders

The DCSF have today launched their report "Next Steps for Early Learning and Childcare: Building on the 10-Year Strategy" . This highlights a commitment to extending the free entitlement to early years education for the 15 per cent most disadvantaged 2-year-olds with the intention to roll this out to all 2-year-olds in the future. They also showed a commitment to having all childcare workers educated to level 3 by 2015 and formally supported childminding networks in all local authorities.

 

NCMA has welcomed the childcare strategy and its renewed commitment to registered childminders

 

Liz Bayram, Chief Executive of NCMA, said:

 

"It was important, half-way through this ambitious 10-year childcare strategy, for government to step back, review progress and reinforce how it will overcome outstanding challenges to ensure children are supported to achieve their full potential and parents are able to balance work and family commitments. NCMA is pleased this has happened and that government has listened to the views of the early years sector.

 

"We are delighted with the resulting strategy and look forward to working in partnership with DCSF, local authorities and others to achieve its goals. We are particularly pleased the strategy makes clear that government wants to:

  • work to increase the opportunity for childminding networks to enable more childminders to deliver the free early years entitlement.
  • ensure that everyone working in early learning and childcare has a full and relevant level 3 qualification and to consider making this a requirement by 2015.”

 

Liz Bayram continued

 

"Making a relevant level 3 qualification a requirement of registration is something NCMA members voted for at our Annual Conference in 2005 and we have campaigned for this since then. We will be keen to explore this proposal in more depth with the Department.

 

"We know that 40 per cent of our childminder members already hold a relevant level 3 qualification. We also know research demonstrates outcomes for children improve the more qualified their childcarer is – so a requirement to achieve such a standard is good news for children and attainable for all childminders. The strategy’s focus on networking opportunities will be key to supporting more childminders to achieve a level 3 qualification, along with government’s continued commitment to provide funding, such as Train to Gain. Alongside this, more local authorities will not only have to fund level 3 qualifications through their local workforce strategies, but ensure training is appropriate and accessible to registered childminders, who most often have to train at evening and weekends."

 

Read the full DCSF document here.