The Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years
(PACEY) welcomes the Budget proposals to provide financial
assistance with childcare costs to more working parents, by
broadening the scope of the employer supported voucher scheme.
Alongside tackling childcare costs for working families, PACEY
believes Government must address the sustainability of childcare
services, for example ensuring the full cost of delivering the free
early education entitlement is reimbursed to registered
providers.
Our research shows time and again that childcare providers are
struggling to deliver high quality services for children within
current funding levels.
One impact is that many childminders and nursery workers are
receiving the minimum wage or less for doing what most families
would consider to be one of the most important jobs - ensuring
their child's safety and wellbeing.
The measures Government proposed in its recent More Great
Childcare report such as increasing ratios, introducing
childminding agencies will not reduce costs for parents. This,
coupled with proposals to require staff to hold higher
qualification levels, could threaten the sustainability of many
childcare services. So greater financial assistance to parents and
to providers is critical.