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Who we are
About Daycare Trust
Daycare Trust is the national childcare charity. We have been working since November 1986 to promote high quality affordable childcare for all. We know how important it is to make the right decision about childcare for your child and we hope that, through our information and services, we can help you to find out more.
Our campaigning work continues to focus on childcare affordability, listening to parents and keeping children at the centre.
Daycare Trust is a registered charity (No.327279) and a company limited by guarantee (No.02063604), registered in England and Wales. VAT registered (No. 830 9847 06).
For information about our team see Key staff at Daycare Trust.
Daycare Trust is:
- INFLUENTIAL - in leading the national childcare campaign through high quality research, developing credible policy recommendations through publications and the media, and by working with others.
- EXPERT - at promoting quality childcare and providing information and support to parents, carers and others involved in the childcare sector to enable them to make good choices and improve services.
- REPRESENTATIVE - in ensuring the childcare needs and entitlements of children and parents are voiced and heard.
Our mission
Daycare Trust is the national childcare charity, campaigning for quality, accessible, affordable 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 the difference in our communities. We listen to all views and are committed to act without prejudice. We oppose all discrimination and promote equality in all we do.
Our vision
Daycare Trust’s objective is to secure access to high quality affordable childcare for all children in Great Britain where and when they and their parents want and need it, at a price their parents can afford.
Despite the advances in recent years, particularly with the National Childcare Strategy, there remains a considerable way to go before this is achieved. By ‘childcare’ we mean arrangements parents make for their children when they are not looking after the children themselves; this could be in individual or group care in a variety of settings, including at home.
Quality childcare involves learning through play. Our vision is of a children’s centre in every community offering integrated childcare and early education with a range of other services for families. Children’s centres would link to childminding networks and other home-based and community-based childcare.
Schools become increasingly important as nursery schools link to reception classes and extended schools provide a variety of services for families, including childcare for older children.
Parents’ choices would be extended by increasing paid parental leave, especially early in a child’s life, and the offer of flexible working conditions.
Equalities, diversity and inclusion are central to our objectives and will inform and underpin all our work. Identifying, understanding and breaking down the barriers to participation and belonging is key to achieving ‘childcare for all’. This should be incorporated in all that we do.
Our work and services
Daycare Trust provides a range of services and we are undertaking a number of projects for funders. Further information about our work and services.
You will also find information about our work in our annual review. Download the Daycare Trust Annual Review.
All our services can be contacted via our reception on 0845 872 6260 (020 7940 7510).
Our supporters
Many organisations have kindly supported our work during the financial year 2010/11, for further information see, Our supporters.
Who we support
Daycare Trust lends its support to the work of other organisations who enhance and compliment the work we do and whose work supports the childcare agenda. Organisations and campaigns we support are detailed below. See Who we support for further information.
News
Daycare Trust is 25 years old!
Join with us to celebrate our anniversary year.
New campaign for children’s centres - Save Our Sure Start!
Daycare Trust is launching a new campaign to support parents to save their Sure Start Children’s Centres from local authority budget cuts.
NEW training guide
Daycare Trust has just launched its NEW training guide with new and exciting courses.
New research from Daycare Trust and Save the Children
Findings from the survey released today examine how the cost of childcare impacts on families.
Online card shop
Daycare Trust has just launched an online card shop
Parent volunteering survey marks National Childcare Week
A new survey of 2,000 mums has shown that the majority are keen to undertake volunteering.
NAFIS and Daycare Trust merger
Key childcare information services join together.