National Childcare Week and National Sure Start Month Celebrated at the House of Commons

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 17th Jun 2004

Local MP Annette Brooke, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Children, yesterday joined the All Party Parliamentary Group for Childcare to celebrate National Childcare Week and National Sure Start month in the House of Commons.

National Childcare Week and National Sure Start month launch in the House of Commons

Investment in childcare places and Sure Start have been two of the government's main early years policy areas since 1997, and both have seen huge expansion over the past few years - with 100,000 childcare places have been created for pre-school children since 1998.

Speaking at the reception, organised by the Daycare Trust, Pre-School Learning Alliance, the National Childminding Association, the National Day Nurseries Association and 4 Children, Annette Brooke MP said:

"I welcome the priority that the government given childcare provision and the expansion of Sure Start. I look forward to seeing further investment in this area, as there is still a lot more to do particularly in raising the status of the childcare workforce through investment in training."

"Children and parents benefit immensely from the availability of high quality and affordable childcare arrangements in their community and it improves the choices available to parents who wish or need to work. This can have significant impact on child poverty, lifting whole families out of the poverty trap."

Addressing the main childcare organisations, Annette Brooke welcomed the work they have undertaken over the years to promote the professionalism of their industry, and to extend provision and regulation of the sector. In Britain, it is accepted that investment in early years is vital in modern society as it has proven benefits to child development, family and community life for the long term future.