Childcare Bill

I must make some progress. To achieve that, every local authority will have to take into account what parents say they need, particularly those on low incomes or with disabled children. Every local authority will then have to work with providers in the voluntary, private and state sectors and do all they reasonably can to ensure that there are sufficient places and that those match parents’ needs. Parents need information and guidance to allow them to make informed choices between the services available, so the Bill extends the existing duty on local authorities to provide information about child care so that parents know about the range of services available for their child from birth to the age of 19.