Department for Education: Childcare consultation

The Department for Education has announced new plans to allow more flexibility in childcare to benefit hundreds of thousands of parents across the country.

As part of a package of measures to increase childcare support for parents, boost the number of childminders and drive take up of childcare offers, a new consultation will look at increasing the number of two-year old children that can be looked after by each staff member in registered early years settings.

The consultation, which is open until Friday 16 September, proposes changing staff-to-child ratios from 1:4 to 1:5 for two-year-olds, giving providers more flexibility in how they run their businesses while maintaining safety and quality of care. The consultation also seeks views on certain elements of the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework.

Read the full press notice.