Excerpts from the report:
This publication is the first in the Leading the Vision series of policy papers published by Daycare Trust.
The Leading the Vision policy papers are written by Daycare Trust and by leading experts in the child care and early years sectors. The papers draw on the contributions of academic experts, child care organisations, civil servants, policy makers, think-tanks, opinion formers and key stakeholders who have shared their views and their vision of a new universal child care and early years sector in Britain at a series of policy roundtables organised by Daycare Trust between July 2004 and February 2005.
A New Era for Universal Child care? is the first in the series and joins two papers, one of which provides background to child care and children's services in Britain and the other a vision of the future.
In the first paper, Child care and Early Years Services in 2004, Daycare Trust places childcare and early years services in the context of the policy initiatives and reforms that have taken place since 1997 and provides a snapshot of child care in 2004, looking at what has been achieved, who is missing out and examining the short and long-term challenges to achieving good quality, accessible and affordable child care and early years services for all.
In the second paper, Setting the Scene: A Vision of Universal Children's Spaces, Professor Peter Moss takes us to 2015 and leads us on a journey where radical reforms have taken place; new, innovative children services have been set up; a reflection on our image of the child and of society has taken place; and new spaces have been created where both children and adults can develop and thrive.