Day nursery providers said the government's childcare strategy had resulted in too close a link between access to affordable childcare and early years experiences and work.
Source: 2004 Spending Review Childcare Review, National Day Nurseries Association (0870 774 4244)
Links: Report (Word file)
Date: 2003-Dec
Researchers explored the key drivers influencing parents ability to combine work and childcare, and whether and how working families' tax credit (and the childcare tax credit component of it) had made a difference to parents ability to combine work and childcare more effectively. The fact that WFTC awards were fixed for six months created difficulties for some recipients. On occasion the gap between what was being claimed and what was being paid out in childcare costs had caused severe if short-term financial hardship. There appeared to be little impact on working hours for the majority of parents, unless they perceived that they were at the margins of being better off by claiming WFTC. The availability of support for childcare had encouraged some parents to move into work. WFTC and the childcare tax credit component had developed into a key aspect of the household budget for recipients. Many felt they would not be working without this additional support.
Source: Jonathan Nicholls and Claire Simm, The Childcare Tax Credit Element of Working Families Tax Credit: Qualitative study, Research Report 7, Inland Revenue (020 7438 6420)
Links: Report (pdf) | Inland Revenue summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Dec
The government announced a 20 million package to encourage employers to help fund childcare, expected to benefit 100,000 families. From April 2005 employers would be able to provide working mothers with 50 a week towards their childcare costs, free from tax and national insurance. It also gave a commitment to establish 1,000 children s centres by 2008, to provide integrated education, health and support services for children and their families; and the establishment of nursery and school-parent links in 500 communities, so that infants were introduced to early learning and books before compulsory education.
Source: Pre-Budget Report: The strength to take the long-term decisions for Britain - Seizing the opportunities of the global recovery, Cm 6042, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 10 December 2003, columns 1061-1086, TSO
Links: Report (pdf) | Hansard | DfES press release | Daycare Trust press release | EOC press release | KPMG press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Dec
A report said the policy of focusing childcare services on families living in the most disadvantaged areas neglected the needs of poorer children living elsewhere: 46 per cent of children living in poverty did not live in the targeted zones, but in poor neighbourhoods in otherwise better-off areas. It also said the availability of registered childcare places for children under 8 ranged from 1 place for every 5 children in some areas to 1 for every 7 in others, and the typical cost of a nursery place varied from 107 to 168 a week across the country.
Source: Facing the Childcare Challenge, Daycare Trust (020 7840 3350)
Links: Daycare Trust press release | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2003-Nov
A paper said that the government's 2004 childcare review should address the uneven geographical spread of provision; the difficulty of reaching all children living in poverty by subsided provision that focused just on the poorest wards; difficulties of recruitment and retention of a workforce under existing conditions and pay; the quality of provision and consequent need for training and professionalisation of the childcare workforce; the needs of the growing minority of children with health problems and other special needs; and the limitations of relying on market-based solutions. But the children's minister rejected calls for free childcare for all, in favour of targeting support at parents with the greatest need.
Source: Women s Budget Group Submission to HM Treasury 2004 Spending Review Childcare Review, Women's Budget Group (020 7253 2598) | The Guardian, 11 November 2003
Links: Submission (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Nov
A report said that 70 per cent of employed women with dependent children used informal childcare by friends, neighbours or family for all or part of their childcare. It called on the government to enhance schemes to allow relatives and informal carers to register as childcare providers, and to ensure that children s centres provided support to informal carers.
Source: Informal Childcare: Bridging the childcare gap for families, Daycare Trust (020 7840 3350) and One Parent Families
Links: Daycare Trust press release
Date: 2003-Oct
Researchers found that childminders generally welcomed the childminder sustainability grant. It was considered a useful sum of money - but above all, a positive acknowledgement of the value of childminders. (The grant was introduced in November 2001, as one of several government measures aimed at recruiting and retaining childminders, particularly for those who provide for families in areas of deprivation.)
Source: Penelope Tapp and Vanessa Stone, Assessing the Operation and Impact of the Childminder Sustainability Grant, Research Report 484, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2003-Oct
Researchers reported on a case study of childminder networks in nine local authorities, and produced a good practice guide for the establishment of such networks.
Source: Tim Dawson, Jane Berry and Fiona Gillard, Setting up Childminder Networks: Guide for local authorities and their early years development and childcare partnerships, Research Report 485GP, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2003-Oct
Researchers evaluated the childminder start-up grant. It was found difficult to establish what impact the grant had had on overall numbers of childminders, because local authority data was incomplete: but there was some evidence that the grants were facilitating registration of those interested in becoming childminders rather than encouraging significantly increased numbers of childminders to register. (The grant, introduced in 2000, enabled local authorities to help new childminders buy items such as toys and equipment and fund minor alterations to premises.)
Source: Andrew Irving, Nicky Spicer, Dorothy Chang, Liz Neeve and Michael Thompson, A Study of the Operation of the Childminder Start-Up Grant, Research Report 483, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2003-Oct
Childcare campaigners welcomed the 'significant progress' on childcare provision since 1998: but they said there were marked regional and local variations in the availability of places, and that many families were still struggling to afford childcare. They called on the government to make childcare a part of the infrastructure of local communities by establishing a network of children s centres in every community.
Source: Towards Universal Childcare, Daycare Trust (020 7840 3350)
Links: Daycare Trust press release
Date: 2003-Oct
A study concluded that the direct and indirect benefits of the 'sitter service' in Scotland to users, their families and their communities far outweighed the costs of the service: but further developments to meet demand were hindered by the lack of guaranteed funding. (The service offered home-based childcare from early morning to late evening, seven days a week, to parents during atypical hours or as respite care.)
Source: Valerie Wilson, Stuart Hall, Nicola Rankin, Julia Davidson and Dominic Schad, The Sitter Service in Scotland: Study of the costs and benefits, Insight 9, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report
Date: 2003-Oct
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on its childcare strategy for working parents. It said the required level of growth in childcare places would be examined as part of the review leading up to the 2004 Spending Review.
Source: Government Response to the Committee's Fifth Report into Childcare for Working Parents, First Special Report (Session 2002-03), HC 1184, House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Date: 2003-Oct
A series of seminar papers reviewed cross-national evidence concerning early childhood education and childcare services for children aged from birth to 14 (16 for children with special educational needs). English-language countries tended to offer least paid maternity and parental leave; had limited school-based early years services (mostly one or two years and part time only); had mostly age-segregated services; had an approach to providing childcare services which emphasised markets, high private sector participation (including for-profit providers) and demand subsidy funding mechanisms; and had relatively high levels of low-trained and poorly paid childcare workers.
Source: Ann Mooney et al., Early Years and Childcare International Evidence Project: Summary, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Introductory paper (pdf) | Child outcomes paper (pdf) | Funding and sustainability paper (pdf) | Quality paper (pdf) | Workforce paper (pdf)
Date: 2003-Oct
The government published new care standards for children under 8. Changes included ending anomalies which allowed childminders, with parents' permission, to smack children and smoke in front of them; greater flexibility in allowing childminders to care for more than one baby (though still maintaining strict overall ratios); ensuring continuity of care and ongoing support for families who preferred to use home-based childcare; and a relaxation of planning, building and fire regulations.
Source: National Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding (Full Day Care), Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260) and Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Standards (pdf) | NCMA press release
Date: 2003-Sep
A report examined the situation of the growing number of children brought up by members of their extended family, or family friends. People who took over the care of their grandchildren or the children of friends often suffered hardship as a result. The report recommended the introduction of a state benefit for such carers, as well as a range of payments to help them with everyday costs.
Source: Alison Richards and Robert Tapsfield, Funding Family and Friends Care: The way forward, Family Rights Group (020 7923 2628)
Links: Summary (pdf) | FRG press release (pdf) | BAAF response (pdf) | Community Care report
Date: 2003-Sep
The government published the responses received to a consultation document on employer-supported childcare. It said all respondents agreed that childcare vouchers should receive the same treatment for tax and national insurance as other employer-supported formal childcare provisions - many felt that this would lead to greater choice and flexibility for working parents. (The Chancellor announced in his 2002 Pre-Budget Report speech that the government would be considering further tax and national insurance incentives to expand employer-supported childcare.)
Source: Employer Supported Childcare: Responses to the consultation document, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Sep
A research study by a childcare charity examined the barriers women in Northern Ireland faced when accessing the labour market. Half of the respondents reported that finding suitable childcare was the biggest barrier they faced.
Source: Heather Kinnear, The Childcare Barrier: Is childcare the most prohibitive factor for women who want to work?, Employers For Childcare (028 9261 0661)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2003-Aug
A survey found that working mothers had less than 10 per cent of their salaries left once they had paid for childcare and domestic help. The average monthly take-home pay for women with children was 864 after tax: but they spent an average of 808 on childcare and on cleaners, gardeners and people to do their ironing. (The study, commissioned by British Gas, questioned 500 working mothers.)
Source: The Guardian, 28.8.03
Links: Guardian report
Date: 2003-Aug
Researchers found that, for most children, maternal employment in the first three years of life appeared to have no adverse effect on later cognitive outcomes. There were negative effects only for the relatively unusual group of children whose mothers returned to full-time work before they were 18 months old: the magnitude of these effects was small, and only a quarter of working mothers were in full-time work this early. It was only those children whose non-parental care consisted solely of unpaid care by a friend, relative or neighbour such as a grandparent who experienced significant detrimental effects. (The study was based on the experiences of 12,000 children born in 1991 and 1992, who make up the 'Children of the 90s' study.)
Source: Paul Gregg and Liz Washbrook, The Effects of Early Maternal Employment on Child Development in the UK, Working Paper 03/070, Centre for Market and Public Organisation/University of Bristol (0117 954 6943)
Links: Report (pdf) | Bristol University press release | Daycare Trust press release
Date: 2003-Aug
The schools inspectorate published a report giving the first national picture on the provision of day care and childminding throughout England. It concluded from the evidence that the vast majority of childcare providers had reached the level set out in the national standards.
Source: Early Years: First national picture, HMI 1583, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833)
Links: Report (pdf) | OFSTED press release | Speech by Chief Inspector | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Aug
A study concluded that moving to universal childcare for all children aged 1-4 could bring significant benefits in terms of higher female employment and earnings: but that these would be broadly matched by the significant additional costs of extending childcare provision to the levels seen in countries such as Sweden and Denmark.
Source: John Hawksworth and David Armstrong, Universal Childcare Provision in the UK: Towards a cost-benefit analysis, PricewaterhouseCoopers (020 7583 5000)
Links: Report (pdf) | PWC press release
Date: 2003-Aug
Researchers carried out a 'state of the art review' of listening to, and consulting with, children under 5 years old. The focus of the review was on children s views and experiences of education and childcare. Only a minority of childcare audits were found to have focused on the views of children of this age: but some imaginative methods were being used by researchers, practitioners and consultants to listen to, and to consult, young children.
Source: Alison Clark, Susan McQuail and Peter Moss, Exploring the Field of Listening to and Consulting with Young Children, Research Report 445, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jul
A committee of MPs said that the children's centre model was the most constructive way to provide childcare for parents, whether in paid work or not, and called for universal centres (moving beyond the 20 per cent most disadvantaged areas). It also called for free part-time early education places for children aged 3 and 4 to be made more flexible; for more out-of-school childcare places with sustained funding; and for childcare to be made more affordable by reforming the childcare element of the working tax credit.
Source: Childcare for Working Parents, Fifth Report (Session 2002-03), HC 564-I, House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Daycare Trust press release
Date: 2003-Jul
The government announced that the terms of reference of an official review of childcare (part of the 2003 Spending Review) would be 'to consider whether the long-term projection for childcare and early years education is sufficient to meet the Government's aims for employment and educational attainment; whether the expansion is proceeding quickly enough; and whether there are areas where more remains to be done'.
Source: Press release 7.7.03, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558)
Links: HMT press release
Date: 2003-Jul
Researchers attempted to assess the initial impact of funded childcare co-ordinator posts within 'extended' schools (hosting a range of community services). Despite factors limiting the scope of the research, the findings provided 'ample justification' for the need for such posts.
Source: Churchill Associates, Extended Schools: Role of the Childcare Coordinator, Research Report 457, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jul
A report said that the emphasis on work-life balance needed to be extended to explicitly include all those who played a role in providing childcare within families, including grandparents. It examined the role of grandmothers in childcare and found that many families, especially those on low incomes or with lone parents, relied on them, particularly before and after school, and during school holidays: however, many grandmothers combined helping with the grandchildren with their own paid work.
Source: Sue Arthur, Dawn Snape and Geoff Dench, The Moral Economy of Grandparenting, National Centre for Social Research (020 7250 1866)
Links: NCSR press release (Word file)
Date: 2003-Jul
A report said that some men who would consider working in the childcare sector were deterred by patronising attitudes by women colleagues, fears about having their sexuality questioned, and the danger of being accused of child abuse.
Source: Charlie Owen, Men's Work?, Thomas Coram Research Unit/University of London (020 7612 6944)
Links: Guardian report
Date: 2003-Jun
A study looked at what helped and hindered the development of childcare services at atypical hours. It concluded that new policies and services were needed, rather than simply persuading existing childcare providers to work longer hours themselves.
Source: June Statham and Ann Mooney, Around the Clock: Childcare services at atypical times, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: JRF Findings 653 | JRF press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Jun
The government said it had decided to bring standards for childminders into line with other childcare professionals. This would mean that childminders would not be allowed to smack children in their care or smoke in front of them.
Source: Press release 6.5.03, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: DfES press release | Daycare Trust press release | NSPCC press release | Observer report
Date: 2003-May
A small-scale study highlighted the complexity parents faced fitting childcare and educational services for their children with their own work. It found that co-ordinating these arrangements was a skilled activity, and the ability to manage it was often as important as the availability of service provision itself.
Source: Christine Skinner, Running around in Circles: Coordinating childcare, education and work, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: JRF Findings 593
Date: 2003-May
A report called for a new type of worker to staff the growing number of integrated services that combined education and care for children. It warned of an emerging crisis of care - caused by a combination of rising demand for both childcare and elder care, and a falling supply of workers (particularly the traditional pool of entrants, young women with low qualifications).
Source: Peter Moss, Beyond Caring: Case for reforming the childcare and early years workforce, Daycare Trust (020 7840 3350)
Links: Press release
Date: 2003-Apr
From April 2003, childminders offering free early education places to pre-school children were able to include their own children when claiming funding from local education authorities. (Accredited childminders were previously funded for early education work through the nursery education grant, regulated by the Nursery Education (England) Regulations 2000. In April 2003 this funding was transferred into education formula spending, with the result that the 2000 regulations no longer applied.)
Source: Press release 8.4.03, National Childminding Association of England and Wales (020 8464 6164)
Links: NCMA homepage
Date: 2003-Apr
A report brought together key statistics, market trends and analysis relating to the children s nursery sector.
Source: Children's Nurseries - UK Market Sector Report 2003, Laing & Buisson (020 7833 9123)
Links: Press release | Summary (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Apr
Researchers found that childcare managers believe a more diverse childcare workforce would enrich the quality of children s experiences; and that childcare providers need help to improve their recruitment and retention practices. The government said the research supported its campaign to build a more diverse childcare workforce and attract around 180,000 new childcarers into the profession.
Source: Heather Rolfe, Hilary Metcalfe, Tracey Anderson and Pamela Meadows, Recruitment and Retention of Childcare, Early Years and Play Workers, Research Report 409, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260) | Press release 27.3.03, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2003-Mar
A briefing paper examined ways in which childcare could be provided for all parents who need it to help them to work.
Source: Gillian Paull and Mike Brewer, How can Suitable, Affordable Childcare be Provided for all Parents who Need it to Enable them to Work?, Briefing Note 34, Institute for Fiscal Studies (web publication only)
Links: Briefing note (pdf)
Date: 2003-Mar
A report called for more government help to be given to meet the cost of childcare for working parents, through tax credits and greater flexibility on the part of both employers and childcare providers.
Source: Making Childcare Work: Changing childcare for a better work-life balance, Daycare Trust (020 7840 3350)
Links: Press release
Date: 2003-Mar
Researchers found that good quality pre-school experiences support children s social and educational development; and that good quality provision can be found across all types of early years settings, with the best results delivered by integrated centres (that offer combined education and childcare) and nursery schools. The government said the research supported its proposed changes in childcare, early learning and family support services.
Source: Kathy Sylva, Edward Melhuish, Pam Sammons, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Brenda Taggart and Karen Elliot, Measuring the Impact of Pre-School on Children's Social/Behavioural Development over the Pre-School Period, Technical Paper 8b, Institute of Education/University of London (020 7612 6050) | Press release 27.3.03, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: Summary (pdf) | DfES press release
Date: 2003-Mar
A Scottish study found that investment in childcare is a valuable tool for economic development in terms of job creation in the childcare sector, as well as enabling parents, principally mothers, to return to paid work.
Source: Gillian Davidson and Anne Marie Barry, Assessment of Benefits and Costs of Out of School Care, Insight 5, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report
Date: 2003-Mar
The government announced that greater flexibility would be given within the new working tax credit (operating from April 2003), allowing account to be taken of short-term increases in childcare costs lasting less than four weeks - in particular during school holidays. The announcement followed the discovery that many low-earning parents would be worse off under the new credit.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Answers 24.2.03, columns 184-186W, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Feb
Researchers analysed the childcare support needs of students aged 16-19 in further education.
Source: Sally Dench and Ceri Evans, Childcare, 16 to 19 Year Old Parents and Further Education, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2003-Feb
The government began consultation on expanding tax and national insurance exemptions for employer-supported childcare. It proposed to widen the workplace nurseries tax exemption, simplify the requirements that employers need to meet to qualify for the exemption, and offer better incentives for employers to support good quality childcare provision. The requirement for the employer to have management responsibility of the childcare facility would be removed.
Source: Employer-Supported Childcare: Consultation document, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558) and Inland Revenue
Links: Consultation Document (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2003-Feb
A survey found that the typical cost of a nursery place for a child under two at the end of 2002 was 128 a week (more than 6,650 a year), up 6.7 per cent compared to 2001. Three-quarters of the children's information services responding to the survey said that parents report a lack of quality affordable childcare in their area. The lack of provision for children under two and the lack of after school clubs were highlighted as the biggest problems facing parents.
Source: Press release 30.1.03, Daycare Trust (020 7840 3350)
Links: Press release
Date: 2003-Jan