London parents speak out

Childcare is what enables London to keep working.

Have you met a parent who is struggling to afford childcare? Have parents at your setting cut down on hours because it is no longer economical or practical to work?

Daycare Trust and the 4 in 10 child poverty network are launching a campaign in the build up to the May 2012 Mayoral and London Assembly elections to ask the candidates to rmake childare a high priority and ensure families across London are given the support they need to find appropriate childcare. There are several exciting opportunities planned to tell politicians about the real challenges facing parents in London. 

To get involved or for more information please contact Rory Edwards, Press and Campaigns Officer at Daycare Trust on 020 7940 7525, or by email at press@daycaretrust.org.uk.

Tailor-made one-to-one planning advice for your setting

Many providers have mentioned how they need some targeted management and planning advice to help their sustainability. This has also been echoed in our very popular Debt Management and Boosting Occupancy workshops. The Daycare Trust consultant who presented these workshops also provides direct support to many early years and out-of-school providers and is able to offer tailor-made advice on such areas as ‘Debt management’, Boosting Occupancy’, ‘Break-even pricing’ and ‘Business planning for sustainability’. 

This could be through small group briefings given in your setting and/or direct one-to-one work with individuals, including going through budget and expenditure figures. The cost would be £300 for half a day’s advice or £550 for a full day. For an informal chat, please contact our Training and Consultancy Manager, Esther Burridge, on 020 7940 7514 or email eburridge@daycaretrust.org.uk.

News in brief

Foundation Years website
4Children and the Early Years Strategic Partnership have recently launched a one-stop shop for all those who work in the foundation years, bringing together a vast array of information, resources and up to the minute news. Sections include child development, health, quality, sustainability, children’s centres and training events.  Contact foundations@4children.org.uk to find out more.

Nursery Manager of the Year from Camden!
Mikki Parkes, manager of Auden Place Community Nursery in Camden, won the 2011 Nursery World Awards ‘Nursery Manager of the Year’.

Pen Green Early Years Teaching Centres
The Pen Green Centre Research and Development Base is running a two-year Department of Education funded National Network of Early Years Teaching Centres of outstanding children's centres and nursery schools across the country.  Each of the 16 Teaching Centres will work with settings in their local area to improve workforce development training, with 4,000 individuals receiving training over the 2 years. 
In London the following were selected:-
Eastwood Nursery School Centre for Children and Families, Wandsworth
Haringey consortium (Rowland Hill Nursery School and Children's Centre, Woodlands Park Nursery School and Children's Centre, Pembury House Nursery School and Children's Centre) 
Lambeth consortium (Maytree Nursery School and Children's Centre, Effra Early Years Centre, Holmewood Nursery School and Children's Centre, Triangle Nursery School, Ethelred Nursery School and Children's Centre) 
Westminster consortium (Mary Paterson Nursery School, Portman Early Childhood Centre, Dorothy Gardner Centre, Tatchbrook Nursery School)
Haringey consortium (Rowland Hill Nursery School and Children's Centre, Woodlands Park Nursery School and Children's Centre, Pembury House Nursery School and Children's Centre)