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Ten Year Strategy for Childcare: Choice for Parents, the Best Start for Children

The government has launched a new action plan called Choice for parents, the best start for children: making it happen to support local authorities and their partners deliver the Ten Year Strategy for Childcare.

The government's Ten Year Strategy for Childcare, Choice for Parents, the Best Start for Children, set out these key themes:

  • Choice and flexibility - parents to have greater choice about balancing work and family life

  • Availability - for all families with children aged up to 14 who need it, an affordable, flexible, high quality childcare place that meets their circumstances

  • Quality - high-quality provision with a highly skilled childcare and early years workforce, among the best in the world

  • Affordability - families to be able to afford flexible, high-quality childcare that is appropriate for their needs

Choice for Parents, the Best Start for Children: A Ten Year Strategy for Childcare (2004)

Choice for Parents, the Best Start for Children: A Ten Year Strategy for Childcare - leaflet for parents (2004)

Choice for Parents, the Best Start for Children: A Ten Year Strategy for Childcare - summary of consultation reponses (2005)

Supporting local authorities

The government has issued guidance for local authorities to help them plan for 2005-06 to meet the new agenda.

Ten Year Strategy for Childcare: Guidance for Local Authorities (2005)

Emerging practice on how to implement the Childcare Act 2006 is available from this website. Click for more on the Childcare Implementation Project.

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This page was last updated on 29 June 2007