Nursery Funding: How politics has clouded the facts.
Nursery Funding: How politics has clouded the facts. | |
(a) had to use the postcode system - not exactly true, other County authorities do it, quite legally, by a combination of factors including funding all rising 4's to spread the benefit amongst all playgroups as well as targeting the most deprived areas and
(b) the government had short-changed them. This is a familiar story from the Tories who are too easily tempted to spend their time complaining about the government and playing national politics. In fact their political games have meant that the Cabinet has not concentrated on checking and validating what they are doing. They have taken their eye of the ball rather than focus on the interests of parents and children.
(c) They also complain that the government should have allowed them to offer a maxiumum of 3 sessions per week, not 5. This is not possible under that 1996 Act which governs the grant. The details of this are historical, going back to the previous Tory government. The best solution, for both playgroups and parents, is to find the money for the full 5 sessions.
The DfES aims to provide free places to all 3 year old's whose parents want it by 2004, not sooner. It's not possible to do it immediately because we want to do the job properly. Amongst other things:
Meanwhile many parents have been persuaded by the Tory County Council that the only chance of fully funding 3 Year olds in Leics is to lobby Government. Their faith in Government is touching but for the reasons above their anger should be directed at the County Council.
Finally it's important not to forget the Childcare Tax Credit. This year there was a substantial increase in the childcare tax credit. Childcare costs covered have increased from £100 to £135 a week for one child and £150 to £200 a week for two children. The childcare tax credit in Working Families Tax Credit is currently the most important help paying for childcare available to parents.
If you are interested in the overall progress and political objectives of the government, here is the relevant section of our Manifesto:
Funding for nursery places has increased from £1 billion in 1996/97 to £1.6 billion in 2000 /01. This has meant that at a total of 120,000 new early years places have been created between 1997 and 2000. Every four-year-old whose parents want one now has a nursery place while we have supported 83,000 extra free places for three-year-olds so far by 2000/01.
Most of the new places created since 1997 have been in the voluntary and private sectors. To ensure choice we have allocated £1.75 million between 1998 and 2000 to help voluntary pre-schools and play groups facing financial difficulties. Over 1,500 have benefited in the first two years of the scheme. Having declined since 1994 the number of playgroup places rose by 5,900 between 1999 and 2000 to 353,100.
By 2004 a free nursery place will be available for every three-year-old whose parents want one. From 2001 we will use money from the National Childcare Strategy and the New Opportunities Fund to provide 900 new nurseries in deprived areas. By 2003/04 spending on nursery education will rise to £2 billion a year.
The Tories created fewer than 74,000 childcare places in 18 years. Labour has created three times as many places in 18 months. We have created over 300,000 extra childcare places since 1997.
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Last updated 17 November 2001