Nick Clegg promises to recruit 65 000 new nursery workers - what do you think?

[JustineMumsnet]

Hi I've been asked to comment on an interview Nick Clegg has given in which he promises to take charge of family policy, recruiting 65,000 nursery workers to bring about a massive expansion in nursery places, a vows to tackle the "crippling" cost of childcare and to overhaul parental leave.

The Evening Standard keen to know your thoughts...
Tia

That his promises are empty

It all sounds wonderful. Is this UK wide or just England? No nurseries at all where I live although, thankfully, children at school now. Provision was woeful but in Scotland so probably devolved. Not sure I believe the numbers.

More seriously, now I've read it, it sounds like Surestart to me, which the coalition cut funding to. So is it not just replacing something that was cut before? - I don't get the difference.

I will believe it when I see it.

Also what is he going to do about childcare for 11yrs+ because at the moment there is nothing.

i get the difference, it's all in the branding

who's going to fund the training, btw?

I was moaning to my DH about this, yesterday. The idea is to give 15 free hours per week for 2yo.

What does he think this will achieve? It wont allow parents to work much more, if at all, and the Independent said it was to ensure children were ready for school! They start too early in England (not sure about other parts of the UK) as it is! And the best nursery provision gives lots of access to sensory play. This equipment will all have to be paid for as well, and premises......

What about supporting parents to stay at home and look after their own children, instead of pushing them back out into the work place? What about state funded training for parents, to give them ideas for the best type of activities for toddlers to do?

(If it's of interest, I have always gone back to work, when my DCs were 4 months old, but was fortunate enough to be able to pay for nannies to look after and develop them in the home. I wish I'd had the choice to be a SAHM, but tbh, it's not something the state could really have done much about, in my circumstances.)

So is this a direct attack on Childminders? Or does he mean Early Years workers?

Is the pay for Early Years Workers to increase? Because atm if you work in Early Years you are unlikely to be able to afford to put your child into childcare.

What about all the trained people who trained during the last government who are now not working in childcare due to the reorganisation of the Children's Centres.

I once declined a nursery post because the pay barely covered my own childcare costs.

Is childcare expensive because those working in the profession want to earn a living wage?

Anyway, back to the question - don't trust Clegg as far as I could throw him.

How will it bring the cost of childcare down? We have lots of nurseries in our area. There isn't a shortage of places. The problem is the cost. It would help me enormously if the 15 hours free funding kicks in at 2 instead of 3 years and it would allow me to work more hours. However this proposal is only for the poorest families so I can't see how it will help middle income earners as the report suggests.

Well I read it and then discovered that, yet again, it won't apply to my family.

I work full time, my DH works full time. Childcare costs are crippling, but because we work full time we won't be included in the free places for two year olds as we will earn too much.

Is this really new anyway? I thought they were already offering nursery at two in the most needy cases and as someone else mentioned - will they be rehiring all of the SureStart staff who lost their jobs when they cut funding.

The Coalition giveth.....but actually mostly taketh away!

he probably will implement it,

this will be his next step in sending more people to work more hours to access any sought of goverment benefit

bit like now increase your hours or you get nothing

single parents / careers when the child reaches 2yrs we will provide a nursey place but you will have to work to get any

of course this is only my opinion

How well trained or qualified are they going to be?

Is nursery the best place for babies and toddlers/2 year olds?

Aren't our children already pushed too far too young?

Wouldn't it be better if the gov made it easier for mothers/fathers to stay at home with their young babies and toddlers/2 year olds if they preferred to?

Well yes, childcare costs are crippling.
The current Govt has helped my family by removing child benefit, removing childcare vouchers eligibility and cutting funding to local councils so they chop Sure Start and fire some fantastic childcare professionals. Morale is rock bottom. The local private nursery is £80 a day and after school care has also been cut at local schools. I have two kids and a good job which only just offsets childcare costs, in fact if you count commuting costs etc the picture looks even worse.
So you'll forgive me for feeling a bit cynical about the whole thing.

I agree with Bonnie - there is no shortage of Nurseries and preschools in our area - its the cost people struggle with.

And he announces this when ofsted have announced that childminders cost to much to inspect. What about childminders??? I am a level four qualified nursery nurse studying for a degree who could not afford to go back to my post as a nursery manager after having DS. I am now a childminder at a grand cost of £3 per hour which makes me more affordable than a nursery and I'm more flexible and a child in my care has 1:2 ratio as I've chosen to limit the amount of children I take in for the
Moment.

is this before or after the promised 50,000 new midwives?

And are they all going to be 17 and standing outside having a fag and texting like the ones are in the nursery I walk past every morning?

"A rose by any other name..."

I'll believe it when I see it.

Does he intend to do anything about the lack of childcare for disabled children ? Since the government oh so wisely decided to take away the disability element of child tax credit for children who 'only' need constant care during the day, where are these children / young adults going to go if their parent carers have to go out to work to make up the shortfall ? What about children like my son who need 2 carers at a rough cost of £15 an hour each, we will suddenly have access to breakfast clubs, after school clubs, summer clubs etc without having to stay with them ? Things that every other parent takes for granted.

That's terrible Apocalypse. How have they justified cutting that benefit?

Would just like to say that I am (unfortunately) not 17 years old and I have an early years specific degree. Rather than attempting to recruit more practitioners, the focus should be on raising the salaries of those that do work in early years.

it's a bit mad as they've cut lots of holiday/extended stuff for children age 5+, older children still need care!

wonder if i will end up re-applying for my old job eventually that were cut

Apocalypse - I agree, we are in the same situation.

I was accepted on a university course and I was so excited about starting. I have had to turn the place down as I cannot find a CM who is willing to take DS (found one for DD no problems). The only out of school club that catered for disabled children in our area closed down due to lack of funding.

It sounds good on paper but could be hard to implement in reality.
My point is, does Nick Clegg really believe there are 65,000 nursery workers out there not doing anything at the moment and if he advertises for them they will all come out of the woodwork? I don't think so, do you?
Furthermore, if he is thinking of training up 65,000 people to do this job, then he is looking at massive training costs and admin.
Finally, will these 65,000 workers be the best we can produce? Or will they be a group of young people who have been given this job as a way of massaging the dole figures.
Sorry to sound cynical.

So far attempts to tackle the crippling cost of childcare seem to have consisted of scrapping tax-free element of childcare vouchers, cutting back on child benefit and reducing tax credits. I'm not holding my breath to see what future wonders lie in store.

And yes, if they are talking about 15 hrs/week for a 2yo that's all very well so far as having a lovely time finger painting at nursery goez but is of absolutely no use to a parent wanting to go back to work so shouldn't be presented as if it were.