Children across Lancashire 'at risk' as part of childcare cost-cutting
Local nurseries say the proposals simply won't work
There are fears for children's safety across Lancashire as new proposals suggest reducing the number of adults per child in a nursery setting.
It's after the government announced new plans to reduce the cost of childcare, they say will benefit hundreds of thousands of parents across the country.
With the cost of living continuing to rise, the government say it's committed to doing everything it can to support families with their finances while keeping people in high-wage, secure jobs that help grow the economy.
To drive down costs for providers and parents, a new consultation will look at increasing the number of children that can be looked after by each staff member in early years settings.
It will propose changing staff-to-child ratios from 1:4 to 1:5 for two-year-olds, giving providers more flexibility in how they run their businesses while maintaining safety and quality of care. Childcare for children aged 0-2 is the most expensive for providers to deliver, largely given the need for higher supervision levels.
This could potentially eventually reduce the cost of this form of childcare by up to 15%, or up to £40 per week for a family paying £265 per week for care for their 2-year-old, if providers adopt the changes and pass all the savings on to parents.
Tracey Parks is the manager of Little Rascals in Preston.
She told us:
"I feel like it's a knee-jerk reaction to a bigger problem, to change that particular ratio will make little or no difference to the overheads of nurseries.
"The Government could offer additional support to nurseries with additional rent and rate rebates, which will help to keep costs down and increase the funding rates to subsidise places which we can then pass onto parents.
"The change in ratios will affect the children's outcomes, more than the nursery itself. This is a challenging age where more support is needed, especially those with SEN (Special Educational Needs.)
Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi said:
"Every child deserves a great start in life and that means giving families the support they need.
"Childcare is an integral part of our economy, and these reforms prove again that this government is on the side of working families. I’m hugely grateful to the thousands of dedicated early years professionals who provide daily care and education to our youngest children, which is why I am determined to support them by giving them greater flexibility in how they run their services.
"This in turn will support thousands of families across the country, helping to develop children’s skills while also supporting parents into work.
"The government will also increase choice and affordability for parents by taking action to open up the childminder market."