27 June 2003 - New childcare figures The Office for Standards in Education is today, for the first time, publishing detailed statistics on the numbers of registered childcare providers and places throughout England. Following today's release, Ofsted intends to publish updated figures quarterly. The statistics record national figures for registered providers and places in each category of childcare (childminding, full day care, sessional day care, out of school day care and crèche day care), as well as a breakdown at regional and local authority level. The statistics show that at 31 March 2003 some 99,300 registered childcare providers were offering approximately 1,315,000 places throughout England, of which there were: 68,200 childminders, offering 301,000 places 9,600 providers of full day care, with 383,000 places 11,600 sessional day care providers, offering 286,000 places 8,000 providers of out of school day care, with 302,000 places 1,900 providers of crèche day care, offering 44,000 places www.dfes.gov.uk/news 27 June 2003 - Hodge is first ever minister for children The changes announced on Friday June 13th bring together in the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) the lead responsibility for policy on children and the family. Children’s social services and policy responsibility for teenage pregnancy transfer from the Department of Health, the Family Policy Unit transfers from the Home Office and responsibilities for family and parenting law and support transfer from the Lord Chancellor’s Department (now the Department for Constitutional Affairs). In order to reflect these new responsibilities, there will be a temporary Children and Families Directorate, into which will transfer in their present form the units/Divisions transferring from the Department of Health, Home Office and the Department for Constitutional Affairs, the Sure Start Unit, the Children and Young People’s Unit, and the Connexions Service National Unit. The Children and Families Group from Schools Directorate will also transfer into the new Directorate. The setting-up of the Children and Families Directorate will be on a temporary basis, pending a more considered look at the options for organising this work at national level within the DfES. The interim Director General for this Directorate will be Peter Makeham. One of his main jobs will be to lead the transition and to look at the options for a permanent organisational structure. www.dfes.gov.uk/news 09 June 2003 - Change needed for men to join workforce Daycare Trust calls for changes to be made to the industry to attract more men to the profession. The Daycare Trust says most parents would be happy to leave their children with male carers - but only one in 30 childcare workers are men. The main barrier preventing men from joining the industry is the suspicion they might be suspected of paedophilia, it says. Low status and pay are also deterrents, with many childcare workers earning little more than the national minimum wage. Research carried out by the trust suggests that 84% of parents would be willing to employ a man to look after their child. "Attitudes are changing," trust spokeswoman Megan Pacey told BBC News. 'Prejudice' "Where parents have had an interaction with a childcare worker who is male it has been a very, very positive experience. "Parents today are generally very welcoming of more men working in childcare." She said if pay and status were raised, then more men might be attracted to the profession. Ross Adams, who has been a childcare worker for eight years and is now deputy manager of a Cheshire nursery, said he found the job challenging and enjoyable - but understood why he had few male colleagues. "I think the reason why more men aren't doing this kind of work is to do with social attitude and prejudice towards it. "It's viewed as a female environment, " he said. Ms Pacey said a government recruitment drive for both men and women hoped to increase the number of men in the childcare industry to 6% of the total the workforce. Education Secretary Charles Clarke acknowledged many childcare workers were poorly paid, at a conference in London on Thursday. He said it was a "serious problem" for the early years education and childcare sector. "We need to raise the esteem for people working in the sector - that includes a whole range of things, that includes pay," he told delegates at the event held by the Pre-School Learning Alliance. www.bbc.co.uk/news 09 June 2003 - 1 in 4 men consider working with children Men who want to work with children are being held back by sexist women, according to a new report. The claim comes as more men are considering careers in childcare in the wake of the 'New Dad' revolution. Hands-on fatherhood at home has become increasingly fashionable, thanks to role models such as footballer David Beckham. As a result, one in four men would now consider a job in a nursery or as a childminder for other people's children, rising to nearly four in 10 among those who are fathers, the research, to be published tomorrow, found. But just as women breaking into male-dominated professions may fall victim to an old boys' network, research found that some male carers complained of being patronised by female colleagues. Others feared that their sexuality would be called into question if they worked with children, or that they risked accusations of child abuse: one man was banned from cuddling his charges because it was not 'expected' of men. 'Some men complained that they were excluded from some tasks but were expected to do others, like rough play or fixing anything that got broken,' said Charlie Owen, senior researcher at the Institute for Education at the University of London, and author of the report 'Men's Work?' 'It reflects to some extent the gender divide at home, where you might get the same arguments, that the mothers would say, "he never notices when they need changing" and the man would say "I'm kept out of certain things, they think I'll just stick the nappy pin in the baby".' A small study, by the institute's Thomas Coram Research Unit, of men working in nurseries found some had been told not to touch children or change nappies in case parents objected. One complained of being 'cut off' by a female colleague who would interrupt him when he talked to parents, while another two men reported that women colleagues 'would "jump in before a possible problem could occur" or would assume they couldn't do some things with the children properly'. The man banned from cuddling said that, when he complained, 'they changed the whole ruling and they said they didn't want anybody to cuddle the children'. The report concludes that recruiting more men would be good for children and reflects parents' wishes for male role models. The Government will promise this week to treble the number of male professional carers over the next year. 'Lots of men look after their own children, and so there's no reason why they shouldn't be paid to look after other people's,' said Alan Johnson, the Employment Minister, who will address a conference on the issue on Tuesday. Recent research by the Equal Opportunities Commission showed that fathers now do about one in three hours of the childcare undertaken by parents. Even the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has claimed he got up in the night when his children were small while his wife slept on. A Mori survey for the charity Daycare Trust, which is also to be published tomorrow, showed that 84 per cent of parents would let a man look after their child, while seven in 10 wanted more male carers. Male nannies are becoming increasingly popular, particularly with single mothers who want male role models for their children. It also found that 27 per cent of men would consider working in a nursery or out-of-school club, rising to 38 per cent of men who were fathers themselves. 'We are seeing some kind of beginning of a cultural shift,' said Stephen Burke, director of the Daycare Trust. 'Now what we need to do is support men who want to go into this career.' However, 57 per cent of those asked identified fears of paedophiles targeting children as the main barrier to male childcarers - even though only one man has ever been convicted of sexual abuse in a British nursery. Burke said fears could be tackled by proper vetting of nursery staff, since, when parents trusted the management, they were inclined to believe their children would be safe around the staff. 02 June 2003 - 88% of 3 year olds in early years education There are now 510,400 three year olds, or 88% of all three years olds, benefiting from some level of free early years education, according to new statistics published today. Sure Start Minister Catherine Ashton said: “Good quality nursery education can improve children’s social, educational and emotional development and ensure they each get a sure start in life. There is already a free part-time early education place, which consists of five two and a half hour sessions per week for thirty-three weeks of the year, for every four year old whose parents want one. We are on course to ensure that every three year old has access to the same entitlement by April 2004.” “We want to ensure that all parents know about the childcare, early education and family support services available to give them more choice over whether they return to work or enter into further education or training. June sees the launch of National Sure Start Month with families across the country taking part in local activities which celebrate and promote childcare, early education and family support services and the key role played by people working within the sector.” “Funded early education is provided within a variety of settings in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors from maintained nursery schools and classes to playgroups and childminder networks, giving parents greater choice. Alongside this, we are creating more childcare places increasingly delivered alongside early education and family support services. “Every child deserves the best start in life and we are committed to delivering a sure start for every child, with help focused where it is needed most. We are determined to grasp this opportunity to make a difference for this generation of children and future generations.” The National Sure Start Month in June 2003 is organised by, Kids' Clubs Network, in association with The Daycare Trust, National Childminding Association, National Day Nurseries Association, and Pre-school Learning Alliance and is sponsored by the Sure Start Unit in the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Work and Pensions. 02 June 2003 - Schools to provide community services At least one school in every local education authority will provide a full range of community services by 2006, Baroness Ashton, Minister for Sure Start announced. The 240 extended schools to be funded over the next three years will provide childcare, health and social care, lifelong learning opportunities, family learning, parenting support, study support, sports and arts, and ICT access. Funding of £52.2 million over three years will initially be strategically targeted at the most disadvantaged areas and then rolled out progressively to all areas. In addition, all LEAs and schools will get planning support to provide extended services which meet local needs. Extended services will enable schools to focus on their core role of raising standards for pupils. They will: • support children’s learning - for example children in need of services like speech therapy do not miss half the school day travelling to an appointment if the service can be provided on site; • help parents balance work and family life - for example flexible school based childcare can meet parents’ working needs and health care on the school site is easy for families to access; and • benefit communities - for example local residents are able to use schools resources and adult learning opportunities. Schools will also receive additional help to provide childcare, with all LEAs getting funding for the coordination of childcare services by 2006. “We are creating schools for the future, which meet the challenges of life in the 21st Century. There will be at least one extended school in every LEA offering a full range of extended services by 2006. “Extended services help improve children’s motivation, behaviour and achievements. They remove barriers to learning and help teachers focus on their core job of teaching. “Schools providing extended services such as childcare, healthcare and family learning are a practical resource for children, parents and the community. By supporting pupils, parents and communities, extended services help schools focus on raising standards.”