BPS call for evidence
Responses will contribute to the BPS' submission to the Education Committee's new inquiry into support for children and the early years.
21 December 2022
The BPS will be responding to the Education Committee's Inquiry into Support for Childcare and the Early Years.
The inquiry will examine how easy to navigate the current childcare system is for parents and carers, and whether current childcare entitlements are providing families with affordable and flexible childcare. The Committee will assess the effectiveness of the different funding entitlements, including those funded by the Department for Education, the Tax-Free Childcare scheme and support for childcare from the benefits and tax credit system.
Additionally, it will examine how support for childcare impacts parents/carers returning to work.
The inquiry will also explore early years provisions and examine how it prepares young children for their transition into primary education.
It will also look at the current workforce issues faced by early years practitioners, and the extent to which the Covid-19 pandemic may have worsened existing workforce challenges.
The Committee's new inquiry will also look at the Government's consultation on changing childcare ratios in early years settings, which proposed changing the current staff-to-child ratios from 1:4 to 1:5 for 2-year-olds.
If you are interested in contributing to our submission, please send your comments to Emily Marr ([email protected]) by 12 pm on 10 January 2023 using this response form. Please ensure that comments are based on published evidence or relevant clinical experience.