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20 May 2010
Daycare Trust, the national childcare charity welcomes the commitment to maintain the free nursery entitlement, outlined in today's government coalition document.
At present, all three and four year olds receive the entitlement - 12.5 hours of free education and care per week, which is due to increase to 15 hours a week from September. The policy, a key tenet of the ten year childcare strategy has proved extremely popular with parents. A recent Daycare Trust survey of 2,500 mothers saw the free entitlement emerge as their top childcare issue, and over 85% of three and four year old currently take up their place.
Also welcomed are the pledges to promote shared parental leave, and extend the right to request flexible working to all employees, policies put forward in Daycare Trust's pre-election Childcare Charter.
However, Daycare Trust has reiterated its call to ensure that Sure Start Children's Centres are protected as universal services for the whole community, warning that many of the long term benefits would not be observed for many years, and as a result a move to reduce access for some families could put at risk the future of thousands of children across the country.
Alison Garnham, Chief Executive of Daycare Trust commented:
"We warmly welcome the commitment from the coalition government to support the free entitlement. It is a landmark policy that has meant for the first time nearly all children are starting school with the essential benefits of good quality early years education and care - giving them the start in life they deserve.
This, along with the extension of flexible working and parental leave, is exactly the kind of family friendly policy that must be built upon in order to support children and parents.
Daycare Trust now calls on the government to give us a cast-iron guarantee that extension of the free entitlement to 15 hours per week will go ahead in September as planned and that the universal provision of Sure Start children's centres will be protected. It is because these centres are open to all that they have been so effective at reaching the parents who would not normally use such services but who stand to gain the most from them, and this must not be put at risk. It is well documented that children do best in a mixed environment"
NOTES TO EDITORS
Daycare Trust is the national childcare charity, campaigning for quality affordable accessible childcare for all and raising the voices of children, parents and carers. We advise parents and carers, providers, employers, trade unions and policymakers on childcare issues. We recognise that everyone is unique and we value difference in our communities. We listen to all views and are committed to act without prejudice.
Daycare Trust runs an Information Line on 0845 872 6251, open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10.00am-1.00pm and 2.00pm-5.00pm, Wed 2.00pm-5.00pm (only). Parents can also visit www.daycaretrust.org.uk and www.payingforchildcare.org.uk for information.
Daycare Trust is a member of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, www.ecpc.org.uk.
For further information, contact press office at Daycare Trust on 020 7940 7525 (out of hours 07796 886 648).
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