Childcare Bill

I must make some progress. Because life chances are still too often determined by parental background, we want to see local authorities reduce inequalities between the poorest children and the rest. The local authority role will be to champion the rights of young children and their families. To do that, they will work with partners to develop integrated services focused around the needs of the child, and they will involve parents in the design and delivery of the services to ensure that they meet their needs. Sure Start children’s centres, already being established throughout the country, will play a vital role in achieving those aims. To enable parents to balance more effectively their work and family responsibilities, we are placing a precise duty on local authorities to secure sufficient child care for working parents. Local authorities already play a key role in planning, commissioning and delivering services for young children and their families and the Bill formalises that role.