Live webchat about childcare reform with Liz Truss, Education & Childcare Minister, Thursday 7 February, 1pm

[JustineMumsnet]

Hello hello,

We'll be welcoming the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education and Childcare - Elizabeth Truss MP - for a webchat on Thursday Feb 7th (tomorrow) 1pm - 2pm.

As the Member of Parliament for South West Norfolk, Elizabeth Truss lives in Downham Market with her husband and two daughters. She was brought up in Yorkshire and, before entering Parliament, worked as the Deputy Director at the think-tank Reform. She also worked in the energy and telecommunications industry for 10 years and is a qualified management accountant.

Elizabeth recently wrote a Mumsnet guest blog on the Government's plans for childcare reform, which generated this recent thread - and childcare expert Penelope Leach responded to the proposals here.

Do post your question in advance on this thread, or join us live on Thursday 1pm-2pm.

And, as ever, a gentle reminder to all to stick to our webchat guidelines.

Many thanks.

Liz, have you actually looked at the 2 petitions that have got over 20000 signatures from both parents and childminders...?. Surely that will state that we do not agree with this, which says a lot more than your "lots and lots" you have spoken to?!

and will you publish your discussions with those agencies you claim to have held meetings with???

I would like to echo moonbells question - can the minister clarify what the future help for 5+ childcare will be? Funding afterschool care and holiday clubs through childcare vouchers is essential for us to continue to work.

It would seem terribly shortsighted to support families up to the age of five, only for one parent to have to stop work when school starts.

Dawnev said: Is the minister publicly stating that she has had meetings with the NCMA and child minders belonging to the NCMA that have given a favourable response to the creation of child minder agencies? As if this is the case there will be many NCMA registered child minders that will have an awful lot more to say about the matter very publicly
I WILL RESIGN FROM THE NCMA IF THIS IS THE CASE - AND SO WILL MANY OTHERS

@Bonkerz

Ms truss please can I suggest that you try answering The core questions rather than copying and pasting from the report you have published. Many I us have already read your views but they contradict everything us qualified an experienced early years practitioner already know. HOW EXACTLY will higher ratios reduce costs to parents? HOW EXACTLY will practitioners spread themselves between all the children and still offer quality care an education Whilst agencies won't be compulsory they will be advertised as the best way to find childcare so why would a parent look anywhere else? I presume the current CiS will be scrapped meaning advertising for independent childminders will be harder.

Hi Bonkerz,

I've answered the question about the impact of ratios on higher quality and cost.

I probably sound like the report because I've done a lot of work on it. Iv'e spent a lot of time talking to people, visiting other countries and because it's an issue that's close to my heart. The point about the way nurseries operate that I;ve noticed in France, there's quite a structured approach where qualified professionals organise activities for groups of children, and I think that is beneficial . Children and parents are very happy with that. I'm not saying every nursery in England should operate in that way, but I do think parents should have a choice of a more structured approach, with highly qualified professionals.

Liz,
Isn't the proposal aboutOfsted being the Quality Assessors a bit ridiculous, as they'll then be assessing their own ideas?
Surely that aspect should remain within the remit of LAs?

I can fully believe that the heads of many nursery providers may have given their support to your proposals, seeing as nursery chains are likely to benefit financially from cutting costs, with no obligation to reduce fees.

The question everyone would like to know the answer to is how many parents/nursery workers/childminders did you consult on these proposals?

And what will it take for the government to back down and admit (for once) that it is wrong? This is such an appallingly bad idea - I have not met a single person who agrees with it. How can you just push it through in the face of all this opposition?

I'm in the midlands and work 50+ a week as a minder my days are long 7.30 till 6pm, Plus evenings trying to kerp up with the EYFS framework, i work myself to the ground to bring home 8k per annum. How can I maintain costs and keep my sanity on less than minimum wage with these changes? Ditch the out of hours paperwork and realise that childminders should be providing a home from home style of childcare where children are loved and cared for as an extension of the minders own family and then you might see some cost reduction.

Personally, am appalled by the prospect of 2 year olds on school sites - completely inappropriate for their development needs. Is the Minister responding to the needs of toddlers or a long shot on meeting the target to deliver 2 yr old places by 2014?

There's another half an hour left but I'm not sure what point there is to continuing when the Minister has made it quite clear she isn't actually interested in listening to what parents are saying. OptimisticPessimist asked a specific question about a change and her post was just used as a peg to hang a piece of info on. Other countries may have other ratios but that doesn't mean they're doing the best thing for the children concerned.

It would be a very unusual case - there are not many lone parents who would have this number of children under the age of two, not only would they be unlucky enough to find themselves in the position of being a lone parent but they would have had to have had at least one multiple birth to have this number of children in this age range, so the argument is rather preposterous.

Someone's mentioned the different funding in France on Twitter. It is true that we need to make our funding system more efficient so that more reaches the front line, I completely agree, but even within existing nursery budgets, I've illustrated that good nurseries could upskill staff and take on more children at the same time.

You say you could not find a nursery for your children so had to use a nanny. May I ask why you did not use the House of Commons nursery, which I understand has places?

Is there going to be a minimum wage for these new 'baby teachers'? If not, why should employers pay them more? Why couldn't we have a situation like the EYPS where people spent ages getting a qualification and then finding out nobody wanted them?

Dawnev said: Is the minister publicly stating that she has had meetings with the NCMA and child minders belonging to the NCMA that have given a favourable response to the creation of child minder agencies? As if this is the case there will be many NCMA registered child minders that will have an awful lot more to say about the matter very publicly
I WILL RESIGN FROM THE NCMA IF THIS IS THE CASE - AND SO WILL MANY OTHERS

Please can the minister answer this question as it has huge ramifications for a professional body that I am proud to be a part of

@mellowcat

I am an NNEB nursery nurse with a first class honours degree in Early Childhood Studies, a Masters Degree in Early Childhood and twenty years experience of working in nurseries with children under the age of three. Myself and similarly qualified colleagues are contemplating leaving the profession as soon as the ratio changes come into force as experience tells us that this simply will not work. It is very easy to say that nurseries have a choice, but there is often no choice for the practitioners working within them. I would rather leave than fail the infants in my care.

First of all, I'm a big fan of NNEB, and our new Early Years Educator qualification is going to learn the lessons from this really well-respected qualification. No nursery is going to be forced to change their ratios. This is about giving flexibility to nurseries and allowing professionals to exercise their judgment, provided they're hiring sufficiently qualified staff. For example, it may be the case that a staff member is ill one day, or there's one extra child which the nursery needs to accommodate for a short amount of time. These arrangements will give nurseries the flexibility to deal with that without having to let parents down, or children.

I notice that there doesnt appear to be a single poster on here that agrees with the minister??? Surely if she had consulted "lots and lots" of childminders and parents then they would be on here supporting her??

Hello Ms Truss,

Picking up on a few points you have made today:

• parents pay too much for EY childcare

• childcarers are paid too little
• which is particulary apparent when viewed relative to primary school teachers

Yes, this is because we have a state-funded education system that does not require every parent who would like their child to be literate and numerate to fork out private fees of £20k pa or thereabouts.
Why are you not considering some equivalent - or even partial equivalent, eg significant tax breaks as mentioned by renlo last night at 18.16 ?
Instead, degrading ratios for very young children will degrade care, and everyone knows it.

Secondly - please can you clarify that you are going to listen to non-cherry-picked feedback from childcare professionals and parents? I see no evidence of this so far.

This is an issue close to everyone's hearts For many women, the choice to use professional childcare in order to return to work is a very emotional one, and many women find themselves feeling guilty about even wanting to work. I'm sure you can understand the complex emotions around the desire to return to work and the need to ensure our child is loved and protected and cared for and the feelings that come along with having someone else do that for you. To add into this mix the fact that their baby may now be being cared for by someone who is also trying to care for three other similar aged children (and all four could in fact not be walking at this stage) and is therefore going to be getting less 1:1 attention and care. I honestly think this will put women off returning to work. What would you say to that argument?

Many two-year-old children sleep at nursery after lunch. Could you please explain how one worker could possibly carry six sleeping children out of a burning building quickly enough to save them?

I thought this country needed children who would grow up being able to be innovative - my sister who teaches A level English /English Lit says she can tell the children who have spent time in organised nurseries rather than places where they can use their imagination, as they have no imagination when it comes to writing stories and poetry.

I am on the committee of a parent-run charity preschool, run on a shoestring of a budget. We are very concerned that this change in ratio will justify a sudden decrease in amount per funded 3/4 year old per hour. If this was to happen we and many others would close leaving only expensive business-led nurseries to provide places with these ridiculous ratios. How is that helping parents and children? Can you confirm that the amount per funded child will not drop?

Liz, can you confirm what your daughters had in the way of Childcare please?