Latest Pacey News

[Chatterbox Childcare]

The last couple of weeks also saw the launch of our childminder assistant membership, something that many of our childminder members have been asking PACEY to provide. You can find out more about this member category here http://www.**************/childminde...ssistants.aspx

On the external front, there has been a significant focus on Childminder Agencies (CMAs), with the Minister for Childcare, Liz Truss writing to all childminders to tell them about CMAs and how she believes they will be of use. As well as this, she has written to all schools to encourage them to take more two year olds into their nursery settings. PACEY has commented on these proposals http://www.**************/news/news/...chool_day.aspx and is also working to ensure members understand there is an alternative to CMAs for those who would like to retain their independent registration with Ofsted. PACEY's Vice Chair Jane Comeau and I are due to meet with Liz Truss next week (along with other organisations) to raise our concerns around CMAs once more and also talk about other ways the childminding profession can be supported to grow. We share the Minister's ambition for a strong and vibrant childminding sector but don’t agree with some of the DfE's plans to secure this.

PACEY's profile was further raised this week, thanks to coverage in the Telegraph, the Independent, BBC online and elsewhere. We made it clear we thought it was a bad idea to expect children to stay in school for 45 hours a week, longer than most adults are expected to work and that there were other ways to better support children and families to balance work and family life.

[Simona]

Thank you for that Chatterbox...we now know the meeting has been cancelled...so the waiting goes on...hope another one will be scheduled soon