Nursery World - Childcare Commission: Bad timing of consultation will limit response

The early years sector has raised concerns that the timing of the Government's Childcare Commission consultation, over the summer holidays and during the Olympics, will limit the number of practitioners that respond to the call for evidence.

Childminders, early years experts and organisations have expressed worries that fewer practitioners will have the opportunity to contribute to the consultation, which runs from 19 July to 31 August, coinciding with the Olympics and when schools and some settings are closed for the summer.

The consultation invites practitioners to put forward their ideas about how to make childcare more affordable and accessible, focusing on three main themes:

Penny Webb, who runs childminding service Penny's Place in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, said, 'I would be surprised if the Government got more than a handful of responses. Schools are closed. Many practitioners take holiday over this period and some will also have to juggle their own childcare needs. Settings running holiday clubs will be busier than usual.'

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