20 June 2008
The JCCT want to know what you think.
What is the fairest way to provide early years care and education to 3 and 4 year olds? The Jersey Child Care Trust (JCCT) has been commissioned by the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture to undertake an independent consultation and report on the outcomes.
Executive Director of the JCCT, Fiona Vacher, explained: “We’re thrilled to have been asked to hold what we hope will be the concluding report on child care and education for early years. We do have a challenge ahead of us however, collecting as many people’s views as possible by the 4th of July is pretty tight! I would ask anyone with a view on the four options, or who has another suggestion, to let us know. We will be producing the trust’s recommendations from all the responses we collect by the middle of July and publishing it on our website www.jcct.org.je”
A large number of reports and recommendations into childcare have gone before this JCCT report, most recently one by the Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel. It was a recommendation of the Scrutiny panel that this debate be resolved in time for the September 2009 intake which means a decision must be taken by the States in the autumn.
The trust has concluded from the reports that there are 4 broad options and wants to know what the public and other stakeholders think.
The four options are:
1) Keep the current policy of building new nursery facilities in primary schools
2) Reducing the number of hours of free care from 30 hours to 15 hours, but making this available to all 3-4 year olds
3) The States investing in a public/private partnership
4) Improving the number of children catered for by introducing means tested charges.
Leaflets inviting people to a consultation evening at Hautlieu school are being handed out to all child care establishments and community centres in the Island. They ask people to send their comments in directly to the JCCT or register to attend the consultation evening on Thursday 3rd July from 6.30-9.30.
-ends-
Notes to editors:
1) For further comment please contact Senator Mike Vibert on 449437 or Executive Director of the JCCT, Fiona Vacher on 629901.
2) Details of the options, previous reports and the consultation event are available from www.jcct.org.je
3) A leaflet outlining the issues is being circulated to all child care and education establishments in the Island
4) The contact details of the JCCT are:
Jersey Child Care Trust
The Bridge
Le Geyt Road
St Saviour
Jersey
JE2 7NT
Telephone: 629901
Email: info@jcct.org.je
gov.je