Senator Vallois has set up a new Policy Development Board to focus on early years, and its work will include consideration of a new system of funding for nursery places.
The cohort of preschoolers due to turn four in the academic year September 2019 to August 2020 is likely to be the last to receive the 20 free hours of nursery education currently provided by the Nursery Education Fund. The new system is due to take over from 2020.
And although the minister has announced that changes are on the way, parents remain in the dark about what any new scheme could look like, which has led to concerns being raised by those hoping to plan ahead.
In response, Senator Vallois said parents did not need to be concerned, as her plan was for the system to get better, with the 20 free hours a week during term time being a ‘minimum’.
‘I can assure all parents that, as an absolute minimum, the current scheme will stay in place. That is 20 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year for nursery funding. The purpose of the board is to engage and work with private and public nursery providers and parents to identify solutions to the many issues around costs of childcare, and that is not just for three-to-four-year-olds,’ she said.
The minister said the board had planned to discuss a minimum provision in order to give parents further certainty but she felt compelled to announce that decision earlier than intended owing to the concerns that had been raised by parents in response to the news about the changes.
‘The Council of Ministers is committed to putting children first, as set out in the Common Strategic Policy. Closely linked to this, I have established a Policy Development Board, currently in shadow form, with a focus on early years.
‘In advance of its work, I am committed to give as much reassurance to parents, carers and nursery providers as they plan ahead for the next year, which is why I would like to make this announcement on the funding of nursery places for 2019-2020.
‘For 2019-2020, as with the wider Government Plan, we will have a transition year, ahead of a broad new approach to nursery funding from 2020. The current scheme of 20 hours of funded nursery education will remain in place until a new scheme is developed and implemented, which we are hoping will be in 2020. I am committed to keeping parents, carers and providers updated of the plans as we move forward,’ she added.
She also announced that the hourly rate paid by the States to childcare providers for the free hours would rise by two per cent from September, to £5.36 an hour.
‘While financial challenges are considerable at this time, this shows a commitment to giving our youngest children and their families continued support for the best start in life,’ she said.
Providers have previously criticised the amount paid to them under the NEF, saying the States’ payments did not provide them with enough to cover the free hours.
