Steve Brine has raised concerns over a proposed change to ratios in nurseries, as the Government announce new plans to address the cost, choice and availability of childcare.
Education Ministers were in the House of Commons to answer questions from MPs as the department, shortly before the session, unveiled their plans to overhaul and reform childcare with the main aim to drive down costs on parents.
Part of the announcement includes a new consultation looking at increasing the number of children that can be looked after by each staff member in early years settings. The current proposal is to change staff-to-child ratios from 1:4 to 1:5 for two-year-olds. This could potentially eventually reduce the cost of this form of childcare by up to 15%, or up to £40 per week for a family paying £265 per week for care for their 2-year-old, if providers adopt the changes and pass all the savings on to parents.
Steve Brine (MP for Winchester & Chandler’s Ford) questioned this in the House of Commons, asking; “What discussions has the Secretary of State had with Ofsted regarding the proposed changes to staffing ratios in early years settings?”
Nadhim Zahawi MP, the Secretary of State for Education, responded; “Obviously Ofsted have been central to our work and, of course, we are consulting on the ratio issue which he quite rightly mentions.”
Mr Brine, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Childcare and Early Education in the House of Commons, also asked Nadhim Zahawi MP for details on when the whole package of reforms would be published, with the Minister explaining that; “We are also looking very closely at childminders, the childminder market I think could do with some tender loving care at the moment.
“And seeing how we can help childminders come into the sector by helping them with fees, but also once they're registered how we make sure inspections are proportionate and they feel they're well rewarded for the work they do so brilliantly.”
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