Truss in the Telegraph

In Ireland, childminders with less than 4 clients are exempt from vetting. This news report says that Ireland want's to follow Scotland in regulating childminders.

Call for mandatory Garda vetting of childminders (video)

Try to see the other side too Mr Anchovy...we too have responded to consultations, are the subjects of regulation and legislation but continue to be ignored on what is good for us and our children...this govt has spent millions looking for an answer but still not come up with one

Each govt comes in and uses early years as a way of scoring points
The EYFS needed a review but what is about to hit us is much more than that
and whatever we suggest will not be taken into account

I do respect your opinions Italiana, and I absolutely do NOT consider myself an expert in childcare.

I do however consider myself fairly expert in the regulations governing childcare, and I have spent 25 years interpreting, drafting, responding to consultation on and advising businesses how to comply with regulations in various fields.

Mr Anchovy I think most c.ms know what costs we have to meet...even at £10.50 ph half of that is my expenses.....I won't bore anyone with figures but it has been evidenced in my accounts for many years by my very able accountants...I run a very effective c/minding business together with the fact I actually care for my children and their wellbeing

My arguments are fairly convincing as at my meeting with the DfE they noted my suggestions and asked about our costs, as did Truss when I met her...many many c.ms agree with me and we run our businesses...
I am no preacher but you certainly consider yourself an expert in my field...I respect your knowledge but do respect my opinions...fair deal?

I have no intention of looking after more than 3 under 5's or would have to give up my school children...some in my care for up to 9 years, no matter what Truss says she can't make those who really care about kids turn our practice into 'baby farming'...oh yes Polly Toynbee is right!

After 19 years of experience, a degree and outstanding I truly believe you should be able to provide the EYFS to more than one child at a time.

As you can currently look after three pre-schoolers this enables you to earn £10.50ph: if you want your arguments to be convincing this is the figure you need to analyse (what costs do you have to meet, how does the net result compare with a nursery school teacher...). And be aware that even if your argument is convincing, an easy response is for DfE to increase the ratios - an instant 33% pay rise. If you don't want this you need to present a cogent argument, not preach hyperbole to the converted.

P Leach is not saying anything new but reinforces what she believes in that women should be entitled to stay at home if they want to...she talks common sense as always

All countries have different childcare systems, some are very successful and paid via taxation which is what we are now asking the govt to review and look at their huge waste of money going nowhere

I do not know of any country that is rushing to copy our childcare while we continue looking at what works there...investment for one is what they believe in...we don't as we see childcare as 'a cost'
All countries send children to school at 6...we do at 3...we must wake up to the fact that this is costly and stifled in 'red tape'!!

There is a lovely tweet from a mother in France telling Truss she gets value there 'not quality'!

Would Truss do her job for £3.50ph which is what my LA pays for the free entitlement? in some areas is just under £3
Thousands of c/ms are denied the opportunity to deliver free education simply because they do not belong to a 'network', the funding is too low and a threat to our business, therefore, our parents pay going rate rather than benefitting from the 15 hours...
After 19 years of experience, a degree and outstanding I truly believe I am worth more that £3.50

this system is totally discriminatory and, infortunately c/ms have accepted for years that being in a c/minding network was the way forward...how wrong that was and it is now coming to be reviewed because without c/ms the 2 year old funding will be a disaster

Every govt changes childcare, meddles with what works rather than review it...the EYFS and Every Child Matters worked but needed a 'review' not the reform Gove has produced and now Truss will destroy our achievements in one swipe to cut costs.....

How much did the Tickell review, EYFS reform, consultation after consultation cost? and still Truss goes in search of an answer??? she has it here...will she listen?

"I paid 15?/hour for a love in nanny"

Well, when in Paris...

I think that oversimplification and generalisation on national bases is dangerous.

I haven't read the book (yet - just ordered it), but no less an authority than Penelope Leach apparently has good words to say about the system in France, and in Sweden - although this book is at least partly comparing the situation in the United States which is much less family friendly than the UK.

Wonder if you are on Twitter and would send this message to Truss as she relaxes with a glass of red wine and tries to get ideas from there to bring to a very different culture here....
I think she has no idea where to start and is scratching at anything she can think of...she had no ideas when I met her in August and still looking for the penny to drop!!!

Well it maybe that the scandinavian model is not one Truss would follow....today she has gone to France to look at high quality childcare there...probably at tax payers' expense following the huge sum spent on the childcare Commission which obviously she is going to ignore

So Dutch model is out of the window...maybe, Scandinavian too expensive ...what do they do in France that can be reflected in our culture?

"Incorrect, sweden har a tax of 35% and no additional national incurance."

No, the equivalent of national insurance for employers in Sweden is 31.42%

So in the UK the employer pays 13.8% NI and the employee 12% NI and 20% Income Tax for a total of 45.8% and in Sweden the employer pays 31% the employee 32% for a total of 62%. Except that ignores the fact that the first £7.5k ish in the UK is free of tax and NI making the effective rate in the UK lower still.

VAT in Sweden is 25%, in the UK 20%.

"Scandinavian model too but we must rememnber they pay 50% tax for a wonderful health and childcare system"

Incorrect, sweden har a tax of 35% and no additional national incurance.
And we earn a LOT more money. For example a Tesco cashier earns around £6.89/hr here in Sweden the equivelent role pays £10.61

So takehome is greater whilst childcare is cheap.

Truss has made it onto Mumsnet AIBU.

Following Truss' report in the Telegraph there has been a reply from Sharon Hodgson Shadow Minister for children then one from the IPPR and also this fantastic response from Polly Toynbee in The guardian about 'baby farming'...I like her comments about Truss looking after 5 tots!!!

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/18/tory-dogma-cut-price-baby-farming?cat=commentisfree&type=article

at least childcare has now come up the front as topic and everyone is talking about it
Labour seem to be looking at the Scandinavian model too but we must rememnber they pay 50% tax for a wonderful health and childcare system...we would not do it here but certainly we need an improvement starting with the DfE looking at what it funds and the waste of money around the red tape

In Sweden you pay 3 percent of the households total income for a full time nursery but only up to max 120 pounds a month.

For child 2 you pay a further 2 percent or max 80 pounds.

3rd child 1 percent/40 pounds.

4th child is free if charge.

In reality every nursery place cost about 16k so it's heavily subsidised. And salaries are a lot higher in Sweden as well.

Wait and see

I am a bit perplexed by the local leaders thing, wondering if it means the local authority to become the agency. Hmmmm.

I have no doubt the aim is to lower the cost. But in my area £3.50 is the top end of the fees, some work for £3.00 an hour.
How can it be fair to CMs to make it cheaper than that.
I can only have 2 pre schoolers and if I charged £3 per hour I'd be working for less that the minimum wage. Granted I'd be there for my DC's but the intrusion into your home is massive and quite frankly I want a decent reward for it.

Oh well I shall wait and see.

Fraktion
I don't know whether many would give up the EYFS.
A lot of the CM's I know seem to like being busy! And enjoy the professionalism the EYFS have given them.

Also if you decide not to comply with the EYFS (if it becomes an option) you will become less attractive to some parents. Thereby losing custom.

Italiana
Yes I suppose I would rather pay a higher fee and remain independent. But it does depend on how much.

Currently I am not working at my full capacity if I was I'd be more willing to pay.
I have just started so haven't done a tax return yet so really have no idea how much I'll take for the year since June (when I started)

Would you not rather pay a higher registration fee and stay independent to being under an agency and pay them to run your business?

I will quit if they pass on the cost.
As I doubt I could pass on the cost to parents.