Issue - meetings

That the content of the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment report (CSA) be noted.

Reasons for Decisions:

The 2006 Childcare Act places a duty on Local Authorities (LAs) to make sure there are sufficient childcare places of high quality for parents that need them to allow them to work or to train.  There also needs to be sufficient services for parents of eligible children to take up their offer of free early education, even for parents who are not working or training.  Department for Education (DfE) Early Education and Childcare, statutory guidance for local authorities (September 2014) states that to secure sufficient childcare places, we should take account of the local childcare market, and the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty to report annually to elected council members on how we are meeting this duty and to make the report available and accessible to parents.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Children and Education Select Committee]

The Cabinet for Schools and Learning said that the content of the report on the sufficiency of childcare and early education places for children under five years, and for school aged children was for noting due to the Children and Families Act 2014 placing a duty to report this annually to elected Members and to make the report available and accessible to parents.

She said that most childcare in Surrey was delivered via the private, voluntary and independent sector and that the County Council’s Early Years and Childcare Service supported the development of new provision in areas of need. She drew attention to the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2014, which set out pre-school penetration rates in Surrey by ward, and said that this document would shape the future of the childcare service in Surrey.

In view of the feedback from parents, in relation to the affordability of childcare, considered the main barrier for all parents from using childcare and particularly for those on lower income, Members asked about funding. They were informed that in order to ensure that there were sufficient places, particularly in areas of greatest need, the Council had allocated the Early Years Childcare Service over £4m.

RESOLVED:

That the content of the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment report (CSA) be noted.

Reasons for Decisions:

The 2006 Childcare Act places a duty on Local Authorities (LAs) to make sure there are sufficient childcare places of high quality for parents that need them to allow them to work or to train.  There also needs to be sufficient services for parents of eligible children to take up their offer of free early education, even for parents who are not working or training.  Department for Education (DfE) Early Education and Childcare, statutory guidance for local authorities (September 2014) states that to secure sufficient childcare places, we should take account of the local childcare market, and the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty to report annually to elected council members on how we are meeting this duty and to make the report available and accessible to parents.