Guardian Background Services’ Post

There is a widespread misconception that the hurdles of childcare significantly diminish once children enter school. https://buff.ly/4b8nyut #humanresources #backgroundcheck #hiring #drugtesting #tenantscreening #propertymanagment #tenant

We examine the survey findings in the Early Education and Childcare Coalition's Pulse Check 2024 to get an understanding of the public attitude towards Early Years in England. https://loom.ly/M0_W8-M #QualityForChildren #EarlyYearsIreland #EarlyYearsPolicy

We welcome the Prime Minister's inclusion of early years outcomes in the government's Plan for Change, and the shift to focusing on child development, not just numbers of children accessing early education and childcare. We discuss what needs to be done to achieve the target: https://lnkd.in/ecB4MBdG

The UK government has set an ambitious timetable to expand free childcare hours, aiming to support working parents and boost the labour market. #childcarebenefits #childcareexpansion #childcarequality #Earlyyearseducation #earlyyearsentitlements #earlyyearsstaffing #earlyyearsworkforce #governmentfundedchildcare #thxnews #nurseryfunding #UKchildcare

💬 "Over two-thirds of the parents who worked in professional jobs, for example as lawyers, doctors and architects, used formal childcare, compared with less than half of parents in occupations such as cleaning, care work and hairdressing." New research from IPPR and Save the Children UK highlights the wide gaps in access to childcare support by class and occupation. The Government must do more to widen access to quality childcare for all families, particularly to those in more deprived areas. https://lnkd.in/eGjrkmEk

"While the term ‘childcare deserts’ can evoke a sense of hopelessness, the reality as described in the report is concerning particularly as the gaps are mostly prevalent in deprived areas, leaving many vulnerable children without access to high-quality education and care." Read more in my new blog, referencing the recent Nesta report around Ofsted’s latest data on childcare providers and inspections, shedding light on the growing disparities in access to quality Early Childhood Education and Childcare (ECEC): https://lnkd.in/ehwVdpjU

Last week, the Commonwealth Government announced several measures to expand access to early childhood education and care for all families.   It will guarantee 3 days per week of childcare for each child under 5, by removing the activity test for those days. And it will invest $1 billion in expanding the number of childcare centres and places, with a particular focus on under-served and unserved areas.   This is sensible policy, which will benefit disadvantaged children and households the most.   Aruna Sathanapally and I wrote about these measures in the AFR earlier this week.

This is a fascinating article, showing not just the importance of having more men working in childcare, but also addressing the way we label those working in the sector. Making the subtle title change from 'practitioner' to 'teacher' not only shows the amount of care and training involved in working with young children, but also the important role it has in society. Nursery World #childcare #education #labelling #earlyyears #equality https://lnkd.in/e6kY_97w

Why is the childcare labor market facing so many challenges? As professionals dedicated to childcare, we see firsthand the issues that make this labor market uniquely challenging. It's not just about caring for children; it's about creating sustainable careers for providers. The Chicago Fed's recent study sheds light on the underlying factors contributing to the struggles within the childcare labor market. Key points include inadequate compensation, high turnover, and the need for more robust funding and support mechanisms. Addressing these issues is crucial for the well-being of both childcare workers and the families they serve. What strategies do you believe could effectively address these challenges in the childcare labor market? Read more about it and join the conversation! https://lnkd.in/em_Vc48d #LaborMarketChallenges #ChildcareWorkforce #EconomicDevelopment #SupportChildcare #ChicagoFed

Have you heard that childcare is in 'market failure'? In this article, Anna Thomas from Voices for Utah Children simply explains why and does an excellent job distilling the childcare dilemma into eight steps. #bwfchildcare https://lnkd.in/dzjBbUp2