Review of the London Development Agency’s childcare programme

Review of the LDA’s childcare programme PDF Review of the LDA’s childcare programme RTF

The Economic Development, Culture, Sport and Tourism Committee found, in summary, that:

• The LDA has a well developed programme for implementing the Mayor’s childcare strategy for childcare across London.
• The LDA has established useful partnerships at the national level. But it needs to do more to monitor the involvement of the voluntary sector in childcare at a local borough level and also support boroughs’ involvement with private sector providers of childcare.
• There can be no doubt that the LDA and stakeholders are delivering more childcare places through the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative scheme.
• The LDA has not yet done enough to address the specialist childcare needs of disabled children and to support their parents.
• The LDA on balance is putting too much emphasis on centre-based care rather than flexible and home-based care.
• There are problems with insufficient training provision for childcare workers.