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Childcare Nation - First review of childcare

‘Childcare Nation?’ is the first ever comprehensive review of childcare undertaken by the Daycare Trust with the National Centre for Social Research.

The strategy to expand early years education seems largely to have worked well, whereas parents still report barriers, such as cost and flexibility, to accessing childcare used by working parents. Emma Knights, Daycare Trust’s Joint-Chief Executive, explains, “Whereas most children are now benefiting from nursery places at three and four, the pattern of childcare use for working parents has barely changed in ten years. The continuing cost barriers faced by parents raise questions about the market’s ability to respond to parents’ diverse needs, particularly for care at atypical hours, during school holidays and flexible care,”

One of its most worrying findings, however, was that over a quarter of families entitled to a free 3- and 4-year-old place for 12.5 hours were being asked to pay. And one tenth of those in non-working or low-income families are failing to access the free places.

The report also highlights the importance of quality provision and consistent and caring staff for child outcomes. “It is only high quality childcare and early years provision that continues to make a difference to cognitive achievement through primary school, and evidence suggests that high quality childcare may reduce any potential negative behavioural impacts of childcare at a young age. More needs to be done to raise the bar on qualification levels and pay for the sector” adds Emma.

The direction that Daycare Trust advocates is one of continued, radical improvements to the childcare system: an enhancement of the free entitlement, better pay and higher skills for childcare workers, better maternity pay, paid parental leave and access to flexible working, and a substantial simplification of the tax credit system.

Nurseries charging illegal top-ups

Nurseries do not provide free education places, according to a report in The Guardian (02/10/07).

A one woman campaign, led by Debbie Sayers, from Wiltshire showed that some nurseries charge parents top-up fees which is not allowed under the 2003 code of practice. Sayers was forced to give up work because she could not afford to continue paying additional fees.

Apparently, the practice is widespread with reports from London, Surrey, Wiltshire, Cornwall, Bedfordshire and East Sussex.

Children’s minister, Beverley Hughes, says that action will be taken against those who charge top-ups.

Nursery owner fined for paying below the minimum wage

A nursery owner was fined £3,000 for paying staff below the national minimum wage, according to a report in Personnel Today.

It is the first prosecution of its kind in the UK.

The owner of Rascals Day Nursery in Walthamstow, east London was accused of obstructing HM Revenue & Customs compliance officers as they tried to obtain staff records.

Andy McMillan, leader of the HMRC team said “This prosecution sends a clear message to employers that HMRC will actively pursue those we suspect of flouting the national minimum wage law. If employers obstruct us and refuse to comply with the law, they could receive a fine and a criminal record.’

The national minimum wage will be £5.52 per hour from October 2007.

Less time with families but young children spend more time watching TV

Most young children spend more time watching TV than with their families, according to a recent survey.

The Booktime Project survey involved 18,000 families and found that some families had shared mealtimes lasting for 17 minutes. Primary school aged children watched TV for an average of seven hours and 46 minutes per week.

. It found that higher earning fathers were more likely to read with their children while higher earning mothers were not.

Beverley Hughes, children’s minister stresses the importance of parents making time for this activity. She says “Sharing a book with a child is fun. It’s a time for closeness, laughing and talking together.”

The project aims to encourage parents to spend more time reading with their children and will give 700,000 primary school children free copies of Janet Ahlberg’s book ‘Funnybones.’

Better services for children with speech and language difficulties

Children with speech and language difficulties will have better provision following a review launched by Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and Alan Johnson, Health Secretary of State.

“Effective communication and language skills are fundamental to young people’s learning, developing social skills and fulfilling their potential.

Children with communication disabilities face significant obstacles in their day-to-day lives, which is why we have put in place long-term investment and specialist resources to help them prosper. It is essential that professionals are trained and skilled in working with children who have difficulties – and we are funding initiatives to harness the expertise of the voluntary and community sector to early years services, schools and colleges.” said Mr Balls.

The review will take a comprehensive strategic and practical approach to improving speech and language services including how to further improve workforce skills in early years settings and schools.

Conclusions of the review will be formulated in a report to the government in 2008.

Time to Talk

Gordon Brown, Prime Minister and Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families launched a public debate on how children’s services can be improved over the next ten years.

A mix of parents, professionals, children and teachers opened up the debate at a newly refurbished school, Bristol Brunel Academy.

The 10 key questions published in The Children’s Plan www.dcsf.gov.uk

*What’s the best experience you’ve had of support for you and your family?

• Which bits of the support from others that you and your family get would you improve, and how? Is there anything that you would stop?

• How can we make sure that the support you get from others is what you need the most?

• What is the job for your parents or carers when it comes to supporting you? What help do they need to do it?

• What is your local community’s job when it comes to supporting you? Should they be doing anything else?

• What is the government’s job when it comes to supporting you? Should they be doing anything else?

• How can we keep children and young people out of trouble?

• What more could be done to keep you happy, healthy and safe?

Food additives confirmed harmful to children

Warnings will be given to parents to avoid giving their children foods, drinks or sweets containing certain E additives, particularly if the children show signs of attention deficit disorder or hyperactivity, following a report.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will issue the guidance following the UK’s largest study by Southampton University of the responses of 153 three-year-olds and 144 eight to nine year-olds to drinks containing additives.

Artificial additives such as sodium benzoate and artificial colourings, commonly found in soft drinks produced an increase in hyperactive behaviour in some children, but not all.

Professor Jim Stevenson, leader of the study said “We now have clear evidence that mixtures of certain food colours and benzoate preservative can adversely influence the behaviour of children. There is some evidence that some children with behavioural disorders could benefit from the removal of certain food colours from their diet.”

Neophobia

Faddy eating is genetic, according to recent research.

The research, carried out by University College London, involved 5,390 pairs of twins aged 8 to 11 years. They found that almost 80% of children had inherited a genetic tendency to avoid new foods.

Dr Lucy J Cooke, leader of the study, said “Parents can be reassured that their child’s reluctance to try new foods is not simply the result of poor parental feeding practices, but is partly in the genes.”

Parents can overcome the child’s ‘food neophobia’, the scientific term for reluctance to try new food, by repeatedly offering the food to children until it is familiar and eventually enjoyed.

“Guidance in effective feeding techniques and modification of other influential environmental factors may help to minimize the negative effects of neophobia on children’s diet,” said Dr Cooke.

Summer babies linked with short-sightedness

Summer born babies are more likely to develop short-sightedness later in life, according to a recent study.

The study, carried out by researchers in Tel Aviv, showed that if babies’ eyes were exposed to sunlight within the first few weeks of life they were more likely to become short-sighted at a later stage.

The research involved 300,00 adults and showed that those born in the summer months of June and July were 25% more likely to develop myopia, short-sightedness, than those born in December or January.

Professor Michael Belkin, leader of the study, says babies eyes are vulnerable and need to be protected from the strong rays of the sun for the first few weeks of life.

Baby sunglasses or visors would help to protect their eyes, and parents should avoid taking baby out into strong sunlight during those delicate early weeks.

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"If a child is to keep his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in."