Childcare policy: Step right up- the childcare auction (NWorld)

[Simona]

Another good article this morning

Childcare policy - Step right up: the childcare auction | Nursery World

[Mummits]

I didn't like the tone of this article, particularly the suggestion that better off families send their children to great nurseries, whilst poorer ones are left with childminders, by implication a poorer choice. It is Nursery World, but even so!

[mum67]

I think what he is pointing out is that rather than give already high paid couples (who do not need extra financial help) tax free childcare for which they will use high end nurseries with the extra money rather than a good quality childminder, the government should put more money into the pockets of low paid families for them to be able to have a choice of the childcare they want to use. We are known to be low paid therefore lower fees for parents to choose us as more often it is the only choice they have because of their income. I agree it could've been worded better to avoid us looking like the bottom end of the childcare spectrum. A lot of childminders near me are actually more expensive than a couple of the nurseries, how the nurseries survive on the fees they charge I have no idea and can only hope the children still get the best of care as they would with a childminder around here.

What it doesn't mention is that childminders have to follow the EYFS, doing observations, assesments etc exactly the same as nurseries and therefore DO give as much quality as a nursery would at the same time allowing the child a very good chance of learning just as much as they would in any other setting.

The point I think he is trying to make is that the government are always harping on about children being given the best chances in life and making everything equal regardless of a families income yet they are not providing an equal amount of money towards this becoming a reality.

More worrying is the fact that the huge divide between the rich and the poor is slowly being invited into the world of childcare and it is our government that is introducing it and proving what hypocrites they really are.

[Mouse]

I never know where they get the idea that the more expensive the childcare setting, the better it is, and the cheaper the setting, the worse it is!

Charging more does not make one nursery or childminder better than another.

They keep saying that only better off parents will be able to afford the better childcare, while poorer parents have to make do with the cheap, inferior alternatives. I know of plenty of nurseries that charge a huge amount, but are rubbish. I also know of many cheaper providers who offer a fantastic service.

[mum67]

I never know where they get the idea that the more expensive the childcare setting, the better it is, and the cheaper the setting, the worse it is!

Charging more does not make one nursery or childminder better than another.

They keep saying that only better off parents will be able to afford the better childcare, while poorer parents have to make do with the cheap, inferior alternatives. I know of plenty of nurseries that charge a huge amount, but are rubbish. I also know of many cheaper providers who offer a fantastic service.

My youngest daughter went to several nurseries when she was little and I found out of the three she went to the cheaper one was the best, she loved it and now at 14 still remembers her days there and her key worker. The more expensive one I hated and took her out of it after only 3 months not because of the cost but the care. I turned up to pick her up early sometimes which obviously wasn't to the liking of certain staff who would be seen to be sat in a huddle chatting to one another and not watching the children, you know the difference between staff talking and watching and staff talking and ignoring. There were other incidents which would give me a gut feeling but the final straw was when I turned up and one member of staff was huddled in her cardy on the floor napping. The look on the faces of the staff when they saw me stood over her was a picture. If she was poorly fair enough but she obviously wasn't after the way she jumped up when her co worker shouted her to get up.

I agree totally with her comments.

[Simona]

I didn't like the tone of this article, particularly the suggestion that better off families send their children to great nurseries, whilst poorer ones are left with childminders, by implication a poorer choice. It is Nursery World, but even so!

Easily misinterpreted I agree...this one may be more clear of what the CAB meant in their survey

Call for councils to improve childcare provision for disadvantaged families | Children & Young People Now