If you did, then we would like to thank every single one you very much for contributing towards an amazing 33,845 signatures!

The petition is still gaining signatures day-by-day but we felt that we needed to inform Ms Truss about the strength of feeling against changes to ratios sooner rather than later...

This is the press release which will be sent out later today announcing that the Childminding Forum has presented our petition against ratios changes to Ms Truss -

Sarah Neville, on behalf of the Childminding Forum, has presented a petition against changes to early years ratios to Ms Truss MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education and Childcare.

The petition, online at www.keepratiosdown.co.uk, has gained over 33,845 signatures to date and, together with other petitions and lobbying against the ‘More Great Childcare’ plan, gives a clear message to the Government to keep our early years ratios down rather than potentially putting the wellbeing, health, safety and education of our youngest and most vulnerable children under threat and rendering thousands of established childminding businesses unsustainable.

We are urging Ms Truss to re-consider her ‘More Great Childcare’ plan and leave early years ratios alone so that we can continue to deliver high quality childcare and learning to all children.

Please find a copy of our letter to Ms Truss attached. Thank you.

Sarah Neville

Childminder and early years writer

We have sent the petition to Ms Truss and written letters to the Department for Education and other MPs, news agencies and others who are against the plans or who have supported our campaign along with a copy of the letter which we sent to Ms Truss.

We will not be stopping here - the Childminding Forum has other lobbying plans for the future to support childminders and ideas for ways to support childminders who want to stay independent... but we did feel that the petition against ratios changes needed to be brought to the attention of the Government.

Again we would like to thank every single one of you for your support!

We hope we will make a difference... but whatever happens in the future we know that we have tried our very best to stop changes to ratios which will affect the children and our future sustainability.

You are all amazing!