Originally Posted by
miffy
I have just received this reply from DfE about variations for continuity of care under revised eyfs.
Thank you for your email dated 25 April 2012 about the Early Years Foundation Stage.
The safeguarding and welfare requirements, in the revised EYFS, 'are designed to help providers create high quality settings which are welcoming, safe and stimulating, and where children are able to enjoy learning and grow in confidence'. Within that context the revised EYFS has been designed to provide a greater degree of flexibility for providers than the current EYFS where practicable, so as to ensure that the needs of both parents and children can be met. Provided that children are safe it is not intended to place unnecessary restrictions on who may be cared for.
The revised EYFS makes clear that childminders should not care for more than 6 children under the age of 8. Of these six children, a maximum of three may be young children (under 5), and there should only be one child under the age of one. Although this is the usual requirement the EYFS recognises that there may be circumstances where the ratios can be altered so that the particular needs of children and their families may be met. Providing that there are no more than 6 children being cared for at any one time paragraph 3.29 makes clear that ‘exceptionally, and where the quality of care and safety and security of children is maintained, exceptions to the ratios may be made’. When changing the ratio and/or the ages of the children being cared for in exceptional circumstances providers will not be required to notify Ofsted and seek a variation of their registration.
In particular the revised EYFS says exceptions to the usual ratios can be made when childminders are caring for sibling babies, or when caring for their own baby. If children aged four and five only attend the childminding setting before and/or after a normal school day, and/or during school holidays, they may be cared for at the same time as three other young children. However, these exceptions are not meant to be exhaustive and do not exclude other adjustments to ratios being made in exceptional circumstances, such as other cases where there are continuity of care concerns.
Miffy xx
Bookmarks