Increasing the number of children per staff member or easing other rules is being considered by Children’s Minister Will Quince, who is conducting an international comparison as part of efforts to address the cost-of-living crisis. It comes amid evidence of rising childcare costs. A recent survey found that some people pay as much or more for their child care as for rent or mortgage, while 43% of working mothers said they were considering quitting because of high childcare fees. However, the authors of a study commissioned by the government warned that calling down regulations would further exacerbate the crisis in kindergarten staff. The low-paid staff could leave, with no guarantee that any savings would be passed on to families, they said. Quince caused immediate concern among daycare providers when he revealed he was looking into the matter last week. A 2013 study concluded that allowing more children per staff member would lead to a “reduction in quality”, adding: “Quality childcare is expensive, but there is little evidence that high pay is a function of regulatory requirements. . However, the opposite is true – that very loose regulatory regimes lead to poor quality supply. “ Eva Lloyd, an early childhood professor at the University of East London and co-author of the report, said the report’s findings were “even more relevant today than they were then”. He said the so-called “ratio relaxation”, which would allow staff to care for more children, “could prove disastrous for the sector”. “Current staffing problems that already threaten quality are likely to be exacerbated by proportionate loosening,” he said. “More staff can leave – they have to work even harder for awful pay rates. The recent development of large private non-profit childcare groups has led to a reduction in staff costs, while parental remuneration has increased significantly. Professor Helen Penn, her co-author, agreed that relaxing the rules would be “a very bad idea”. The number of children that can be cared for by a kindergarten teacher or daycare worker varies depending on the environment in which they work, their qualifications and the age of the children. For kindergartens, one adult can take care of four two-year-olds. For children three and older, where one staff member is suitably qualified, he or she may be responsible for 13 children. Dr. Sara Bonetti, director for the first years at the Institute for Educational Policy, warned that comparisons with other nations were potentially misleading. “It is positive that the child minister wants to learn from successes abroad, but we will be careful not to make comparisons,” he said. “Some European countries may have a higher staff-to-child ratio, but it is important to note that their approaches in the early years can be very different, with staff trained at bachelor’s or master’s level and with a wider group of support staff in areas that do not count in proportions “. Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said the ministers had returned to an idea rejected by the government nine years ago after a backlash. “Relaxation ratios will not reduce the cost of childcare and will simply put increasing and unnecessary pressure on an exhausted workforce. Education ministers are well aware that we are facing a recruitment and retention crisis that has never happened before, so it is optimistic that they would like to consider such a short-sighted approach. “Moreover, this completely ignores the interests of the child. It’s not a commodity in some financial calculations to balance books. “ The cost of childcare is rising, with experts suggesting it will increase significantly this year. “Every business will see costs increase through increased national insurance contributions and the minimum wage,” said Ellen Broome, chief executive of the charity Coram Family and Childcare. “I do not think the United Kingdom is extreme [on regulations]. “In fact, we have quite low qualifications and low-paid staff, compared to the international level.” It is also said that ministers are considering other ways to help with the cost of childcare. Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, recently said he was seeking to “improve the cost, choice and availability of childcare”. A government spokesman said: “The first years of a child’s life are the most critical, so we have invested more than ,5 3.5 billion in each of the last three years to offer free childcare offers, including 30 hours per week for working parents, supporting thousands of families. We are also investing millions to transform services for parents, carers, babies and children, including through Family Hubs, where families can access important support services. “We continue to look for ways to improve the cost, choice and availability of childcare, and at the same time we recently announced the largest increase in the national living wage, from April 2022, to more broadly support working families.”
