Issue - meetings

To consider the Childcare Sufficiency Update report.

The Committee received the Childcare Sufficiency Strategy report which was set out in agenda pages 41-46. 

The Chairman was pleased to note that there had not been a shortage of places following the implementation of the additional free childcare hours from September 2017 as it had been feared.

During the discussion of the item the following comments were made:

·         Councillor Rowland was concerned about the availability of places and how providers were managing the extra places, she questioned if the extra free hours were being subsidised by paid hours;

·         Piers Brunning stated that the charging rate for paid hours were significantly higher than the rate paid by the government for the free hours;

·         In response to a question Piers explained that it was difficult to predict where places would be needed in the future as it was impossible to know how many people would move in or out of the area;

·         Members noted the difficulties listed in the report (page 44 of the agenda) in relation to receiving the payment from central government which had caused delays in the system; and

·         Councillor Soane asked to receive figures of the uptake by parents in future reports.  Piers Brunning agreed to add figures in update reports, however he pointed out that some parents used childcare at their place of work which could be out of the Borough, so it was difficult to find a precise set of figures.

RESOLVED That the report be noted.