In England, plans to allow nurseries and child-minders to care for more two-year-olds will be presented to parents.
In England, one adult is permitted to supervise four children, but the government wants to reduce costs for parents by adopting the Scottish model of one adult supervising five toddlers.
The majority of nurseries assert that the systems cannot be compared and oppose the change.
A mother who has paid over £90,000 in nursery fees over the course of seven years is skeptical that a change would result in significant cost savings for parents.
The idea consultation is anticipated to last eight weeks.
Will Quince, the children and families minister, stated that he did not want to do anything that “compromises quality or safety” and that he wanted to offer flexibility to early years settings.
He stated that the Scottish model was a good one and that “what we do differs only slightly.”
“However, this is precisely why we are consulting, as we must listen to the sector and, more importantly, to parents to ensure that whatever we propose is accurate,” he continued.
Mother-of-two As a working parent, Amanda Smallbone, whose younger child attends a Durham nursery, felt guilty about leaving her children in the care of others.
She wants them to have the best experience possible, and “part of that is being in a smaller group and receiving additional care.”
Amanda inquires about the actual savings amount. She believes that implementing the new ratios could create a two-tiered system for parents: those who can afford to pay the additional costs of lower ratios and “those who have no choice but to be driven by price.”
A full-time nursery place for a child under the age of two now costs, on average, more than £14,000 per year in the United Kingdom, according to a recent survey by Coram family and childcare.
The majority of nurseries and pre-schools in England are opposed to the proposed ratio changes and assert that the plans will not reduce parental costs.
Even if the plan is approved, the Yellow Wellies Day Nursery in Durham, managed by Dr. Kate Jones, is unlikely to adopt the new ratio.
The proposal, according to her, is about “reducing quality” for two-year-olds who are just learning to do things independently.
“At lunchtime, we have allergies, choking risks, and frequently a toileting emergency, and that’s just with four of them,” she explains.
Because the nursery is attempting to retain its best employees and pay a significantly higher electricity bill, Dr. Jones explains that for parents, “the reduction in fees would at best be minimal.”
Scottish fashion
One adult can care for five two-year-olds at the Little Flyers nursery in Broxburn, near Edinburgh.
The manager of learning and development, Pamela Stein, asserts that staff must have the necessary skills and resources to provide “a safe nurturing experience.”
She explains that all of their practitioners are required to complete a certain amount of training annually to maintain their registration with the Scottish social services council and to help maintain a safe adult-to-child ratio.
Members of the National Day Nurseries Association in England and Scotland assert that the two systems cannot be compared.
It is written in Scotland:
84 percent more staff in Scotland have at least a level three qualification in child care than in England (76 percent )
The nurseries are exempt from business rates. A larger proportion of nurseries than in England are run by local councils, where costs vary.
Help for baby-sitters
Professor of early childhood at the University of East London Eva Lloyd, who co-authored a research report on the costs of childcare in 2013 when the coalition government was considering the ratio change, deems it a “dangerous move” that will not benefit parents, children, or the industry.
She states that the proposed measures will have no effect “until and unless we address workforce pay conditions squarely.”
She added, “We have the most severe recruitment and retention crisis in the childcare industry in recorded history, and my prediction is that even more will leave.”
The government also hopes to increase the number of childminders by allowing them to work from a community center or village hall instead of their residence.
It states that it is collaborating with Ofsted to facilitate childminder registration and reduce inspections. The required foundation stage framework for the early years will also be reduced.
In addition, a new initiative targeting parents who do not accept existing child care offers has been announced.
