Nursery funds 'need review if free hours increase'

Nursery owner Caroline Blondel does not think increasing free childcare hours is achievable in this States term

Guernsey's free childcare hours system needs to be looked at if hours are to be increased, according to a pre-school owner.

Deputy Andy Cameron, who sits on the Education Committee, pledged in his election manifesto to doubling the offering from 15 hours per week for three and four-year-olds to 30 hours.

Caroline Blondel, who owns and runs the Monkey Puzzle pre-school, said any increase in free hours would have a "huge impact" on the early years sector if the funding mechanism stayed as it was

The BBC has approached the Education Committee for comment. In Jersey, plans have been put forward to invest almost £4m to extend childcare support, but concerns have also been raised about provision.

'Accounting challenge'

Ms Blondel said the system would need to be reviewed before any changes were put to the States.

She said: "We have to take it right back to the beginning, it needs to be stripped back if we're going to 30 [hours]."

"For us to be able to provide the 15 hours, it is an accounting challenge.

"We do have to look at ways of allowing those costs to be broadened out over other things, so it's about taking the money that we have and using it as smartly as we can."

Cameron said any change would need to be subject to a sector review.

He said: "I haven't asked for this budget.

"I think it would be premature to ask for it for this budget. But I think, once the review's through, we need to have some indication of what it will actually cost us and we don't really have that at the moment."

Deputy Andy Cameron said any change would need to be subject to a sector review

In Jersey, families are currently entitled to 30 free hours per week in term-time for three and four year-olds.

Its government said it hoped to extend that provision to 15 hours for two and three-year-olds in the next budget, which is due to be debated in December.

The government said it proposed to invest almost £4m in childcare support for two and three-year-olds, which it said would "create an opportunity for families to save up to £6,000 a year in childcare costs".

The Jersey Early Years Association (JEYA) has raised concerns about the cost and the delivery of the proposed increase in hours of child care.

A spokesperson said there was "little to no detail in the budget" and there had been "no further consultation on any aspect of the proposed scheme, despite numerous requests".

"We have made representations on behalf of the sector about the timeframe - a proposed start date of 1 January when it is only being debated in December," they added.

Education Minister Deputy Rob Ward said the earliest the extended provision could start would be January 2026.

He said: "We've done a lot of preliminary work and, when we can start to introduce this, it will be beneficial to those who already have nursery places.

"We are also addressing the workforce issue by offering training and going into a second phase of workforce recruitment.

"We need to work with the industry, we need to work with people and would encourage people to get involved in the industry."

Busy Bees nursery in St Helier is due to partially close from 3 October due to staff shortages.