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.

Reminder folks to stick to one question - and perhaps a follow up - each please? So more people can get answered.

Given the huge amount of oppostion to these plans on here and in other places e.g. the petition linked to above, are you now going to reconsider the plans or are you going to push them through despite not being what parents, childminders or nursery staff want?

Where will this 'list' be posted Ms Truss?
I would very much like to see it and contact the childcare providers that you consulted with.

I would like to point out that the ratios in Scotland (and Ireland) are higher. Ratios in Scotland for 2 year olds are 1:5

Yes. But you are not giving the full story.

Scotland
U2 1:3
2-3 1:5
3+ 1:8

England Currently
U2 1:3
2-3 1:4
3+ 1:8

England Proposed
U2 1:4
2-3 1:6
3+ 1:8

"We'll post a list of all the people we've consulted with when developing these proposals."
It will be VERY interesting to see if the NCMA is on that list - as a few questions will need answering... I hope the NCMA did not actually agree with your 'proposals'.

NCMA if you are reading - please respond ASAP.

I am a childminder and here is my issue.

There are, I'm sure, some minders out there who would be quite happy to take on extra children in order to earn more money. So if some minders are either inexperienced or unqualified, and decide to lower their fees slightly to draw in business and go for four under fives, are they not going to attract those families on the lowest salaries? Research shows that children's disadvantage correlates directly with poor income, so those children who are already at a disadvantage at home will now be at even more of a disadvantage with their childcare provider.

How will you stop this from happening?

@EasilyBored

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?

I completely agree that it can be very difficult to find the right childcare and feel that your child is being well cared for while you're not there. I think if you look at the numbers of working parents in Britain compared to other countries, fewer in this country go out to work than they do in France and Germany, and one of the reasons for that is the affordability and availability of affordable childcare that parents can be confident with. The basic point I want to make is in this country, we do tend to look at the quantity of staff, rather than the qualifications, which is a different approach from almost everywhere else. For example in Denmark and Sweden there are no national ratios, and as a parent, I really put high value on having really well qualified people.

@nicecupotea

The county I live in had an extensive bank of childminding development officers suported by the NCMA.They were an invaluable source of support when I started childminding. A couple of years ago they were all given their marching orders because of lack of funds. I will ask again, how will these 'agencies' be funded?

Essentially, the agencies will be able to receive various streams of funding like the 3 and 4 year old offer, and funding from parents. They're a different way of childminders operating but these agencies are independent of Government.

"and as a parent" - what sort of childcare did you use Ms Truss? (someone else has asked this already but I don't see an answer)

If the current support is removed from local authorities responsibilities with the setting up of agencies, how does the minister expect the child minders who chose not to join an agency to get support and training? There will be no choice for child minders as the market and conditions will be such that it will be a case of join an agency or go out of business

I'm afraid that I think you have completely NOT answered the main question about ratios. You've stated that carers who are more highly qualified (degree level) may be able to provide a better quality of care in some situations. I think many people would agree with you on this. However, the needs of a 6 month old are completely different to the needs of a 3 year old. A 6 month old needs to be responded to quickly and effectively. A 3 month old is learning how to fit in with the needs of others. I, and apparently the whole of Mumsnet, fail to see how one person can respond quickly and effectively to 4 babies.

Will the government be reviewing the way that the childcare element of tax credits is paid?

I am an outstanding childminder and EYP

Since September I have had to report one family for using my Ofsted number to claim tax credits when they only used my services for two weeks then left without notice. This is a normal practice in our area.

I am loosing my only full time child this week because her mother, a single parent, has been using her childcare element of tax credits to pay her rent and not me!!

The government needs to review the way this is paid so the money can only be used for childcare.

"The head teacher, Greg Martin, told me that children who'd been with them since age 3 were better at learning and concentrating by the time they'd reached age 7. Of course there are different styles of learning for a 3 year old and a 7 year old..."
Yes I'm sure that is true, but were talking about two year olds here, and there's still a lot of difference between two and three years old.
Sorry mumsnet, I'll go do the housework now!!

as a parent, I really put high value on having really well qualified people.
well yes, if you have a nanny you can afford to be picky. in the real world nurseries will employ fewer people under your proposal. Surely you can see that?

I operate a mixed age (4 months to school age) childminding setting.

We can already use higher than childminding ratios as I have a registration as Childcare on Domestic Premises.

I am an Early Years Professional

If I & my team have decided that currently the ratios we use are the best ratios for our children; will we be persuaded to use the new ratios?

I am also strongly against reducing 'monitoring' reducing the councils input is fine if it's replaced by a yearly OFSTED inspection (perhaps a yearly spot check & a 3 yearly paperwork inspection)?

@HappySunflower

Anyone else sitting here feeling increasingly frustrated?

We HAVE high quality provision already.There are providers that need to improve, yes, but that's the case in any country.

These responses are really quite patronising, and suggest that you have a very low opinion of current standards in childcare in this country.
I think you need to remember that, as well as being parents, a great number of us make up part of the childcare workforce.
WE are the people you should be listening to and consulting with. Instead I feel that questions aren't being answered, and that, frankly, I've wasted my time in posting the questions I did.

Disappointed. :(

I'm trying to respond to the questions and listening to what people say, and meeting lots of people face to face as well. I'm sorry if my point isn't coming across as I mean it to, because I really do think looking after and educating young children is a really important job. And £6.60 per hour as the average wage really isn't good enough. We want really highly motivated professionals like you to be recognised for what you do.

Just a quick thought, if I can successfully file my tax return each year and keep my childminding accounts in order, why do i need GCSE maths? Not sure I need to teach quadratic equations to early years?

Nothing has been answered. The mass of views here and on the petition and emails sent to ms truss are being ignored. What's being skipped over is these PROPOsALS are being implemented!!!!! It's a disgrace and when it all falls apart I wonder where MS TRUSS will be then. Come and do a day shift in my village with some very committed and qualified childminders and then see if it fits with your 'extensive research' !!!!

'Various streams of funding' mmmmmmm!
Good answer, but not the required one unfortunately.

@Chattercat

What has happened to child led play in all this structure. Children learn through play not structured activities, they need to use imagination.

I don't think you have any intention of listening to us, why else are you blocking us on Twitter?

As for NCMA members being happy about agencies, this is just a lie. I have not spoken to a single Childminder who would be happy with this.

It's time to follow your master (gove) and do u turn now before your damaging proposals start to harm our children.

The point about structure is that I think parents should have this option. There are various opinions on the best way of managing an early education facility. I'm not a childcare professional, but what I do think is that we need to give room for various different models to operate, and parents can then make judgments about what suits their child.

Lost Politicians are never brave and noble