Labour gov't possibly shows signs of common sense on reciprocal childcare

[SexyDomesticatedDad]

Read the Government?s response
The Childcare Act 2006 requires anyone providing ?childcare for reward? to register with Ofsted, with the aim of ensuring every child in a commercial childcare service is safe and well cared for. Parents would expect no less. However, our intention has always been that friends and families caring for children through informal arrangements should be exempt from having to register and we believed that was what always happened. In the light of this recent case we are talking to Ofsted about how we can make sure there?s a shared understanding with Ofsted, and with parents, of what the law means and how it should interpreted.

Since 1997 we have invested £25bn in childcare and early years services, doubling the number of childcare places available for children under 8 to support working families and providing more support than ever before with childcare costs, with over £3.8 million a day going directly into parents hands to help pay for childcare through tax credits

link here

well thank gawd for that.

i can't believe that they ever intended it to be interpreted as ofsted did with those police officers.

some jobsworth over zealous numpty at ofsted has managed to put the frighteners on everyone

It still just words until Ofsted confirm that they share the government's understanding.

It is a badly drafted law which either needs revised formal guidance notes or an amendment to be raised to clairfy what the government's intent was vis-a-vis "reward".

In the mean time, the polcide women's children's lives have been disrupted - and others who will be scared to use similar arrangements.

BTW, the response from the governemnt is here. It is also still worth signing the petition to keep the pressure on for imporved clarity.

Hopefully OFSTED will sort themselves out now then
It has all been getting a bit stupid.
You can tell how silly it's been just from some of the threads on here (like the CM who reported the friend who was minding someone's DCs etc)

But will the "revised" guidelines be as widely publicised as the original case - or will many people now be fearful of looking after friends' children for fear of falling foul of Ofsted?

woohoo!
Good sense has prevailed.

It still means nowt unless the government and Ofsted publicise the fact

Ofsted have made complete arseholes of themselves.

"However, our intention has always been that friends and families caring for children through informal arrangements should be exempt from having to register and we believed that was what always happened. "

So does that mean that friends can provide regular childcare in the same way that family can?
It's still not clear what they mean.

ED balls has said that reciprocal childcare is outside the rules. Thank goodness for common sense.

what Ed Balls said today

Am v. glad Ofsted has been slapped down, btw, that organisation has been getting far too big for its boots. But the govt. seems to be pretending it is nothing to do with them. (Although admittedly the Childcare Act 2006 pre-dates Labour by a year.)

Love the Ofsted response btw, 'Ofsted welcomes the moves to clarify these regulations.' Yeah, right!

Ofsted are probably massively pissed off. They couldn't wait to be bossing around 90% of mothers.

What do you mean - the Childcare Act 2006 predates Labour by a year???????

They've been in power since 1997.

I still don't think it clearly states that parents are allowed to let friends look after their children even if they aren't registered. They need to take this whole 2 hours and between 6pm-2am and 14 days crap out of the equation... it just leaves it wide open for ofsted to screw with it in the future. It shouldn't be up to interpretation. It should be rewritten CLEARLY so that it states what IS "allowed". How sad that we live in a place where we have to be "allowed" to let our close friends look after our children . I didn't realize the government was responsible for rearing my child... I thought that was up to me guess not.

doh! You are right, prettybird, was trying to do too many things at once and got '96 and 2006 confused. Must remember not to try to contribute to intelligent conversation while helping ds with his homework and answering the phone...

BUMP!

"The Children?s Minister announced on 18 March that, following a positive response to the recent public consultation, she has laid an Order before Parliament to amend the law [the Childcare (Exemptions from Registration) Order 2008] to ensure that all childcare arrangements between friends which are not for monetary payment are exempt from the registration and inspection process"

And revised Ofsted guidance will be issued

www.number10.gov.uk/Page22884