States say no to free nursery care

Saturday 22nd September 2007, 12:00AM BST.

AN attempt to provide nursery care for all three- and four-year-olds has been rejected by the States.

Members voted 25 to ten against Education Minister Mike Vibert’s amendment to the 2008 Business Plan. Senator Vibert had asked the States for an extra £3.5m so that every one of Jersey’s 1,000 nursery age children could have 20 hours a week free care. He had told the States the money would be an ‘investment in the future’ and that Members should ‘vote with their conscience’. Senator Vibert said that the current system, where only around half of families receive free care, was a ‘postcode lottery’.

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