2 December 1999
Bread, milk and childcare
WANT a childcare place? Have you tried the supermarket?
Special touchscreen kiosks are to be set up in supermarkets to tell
parents about a range of childcare and early years services in their area, from next year.
A national information line and website has also been launched, to make the search for
childcare easier for parents.
Parents will be able to call a freephone information line, log onto the website or
check out a kiosk when they pick up their shopping.
The move, which will see £53 million poured into childcare from next year by the
government, was announced by Margaret Hodge, minister for employment and equal
opportunities.
She said: “A total of 148,000 new places are expected to have been created by
March 2000 and at least 100,000 more are expected over the following year.
“The new childcare information services will help parents match their childcare
needs to childcare places.
“Where it’s from a phone in their own home or at the office, or while they
are shopping at Asda, Tesco or Safeway, parents will have a quick and easy way of finding
out about a whole range of childcare and early years services available locally.”
How to get information
- The ChildcareLink is 08000 960 296, which will direct parents to their
local Children’s Information Service. Leaflets will be offer six days a week from 9am
to 9pm, Monday to Friday and 9am to noon on Saturdays. - The website is available on www.childcarelink.gov.uk
but at present, only 28 out of 128 sites are live. Full coverage is promised by March
2000. - The pilot information kiosks are spread around the country, including
street-based kiosks in Sheffield. There are only a few while the project is at the pilot
stage, but they are expected to be rolled out to more locations over the year.
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