From Fiona Vacher, executive director.
IN September 2009, a landmark States decision came into being. Every child, in the year before they start formal schooling, is able to attend a nursery setting for at least 20 hours per week, term time, funded by the States. Prior to this, only half of the 1,000 children who this applies to were fortunate enough to secure a States funded place.

This new scheme finally means that working parents, in particular, can choose to continue their child’s final academic year of learning and care at the nursery they have always attended and the States will pay for 20 of those hours per week during term time. This goes a long way to addressing the inequity that has always existed for the 500 children who would not be granted a nursery class place and who previously would not have received any States support.

The Jersey Child Care Trust applauds our States Members who voted for this investment in our future society and who continue to support a scheme which does not discriminate. The scheme now ensures that there are enough places for every single eligible child to access a nursery place. It is a successful scheme that is working exceptionally well, particularly as it is in its first year.

The leading article on the front page of the JEP on Friday 12 March seems to be based upon two parents who are disappointed to not have secured their first choice of a school nursery class place for their children. This is only the first round of places being offered by Education, Sport and Culture and the timing and nature of this headline, only one week into the process, is incredibly premature.

When this cohort of children were born, it was not known that from September 2009 they would all be able to receive a States-funded nursery place in the year before they start school. Some adjustment is to be expected when any new scheme is introduced and it can take some time to work to its best.

However, since March 2009, all new parents now receive a clear guide to the free nursery education so that they can make an informed decision based on the needs of their family. As the children of these informed parents reach the eligible year before starting school, the decision about which provision best suits their family will, in most cases, have been made long before the March announcement by Education, Sport and Culture, thus reducing the likelihood of the situation portrayed by the JEP.

The Jersey Child Care Trust will be reviewing the results of this in a month or so. We expect that not all who are offered a nursery class place in the first round will take the place up, therefore making spaces available for those on the waiting list.
The Bridge,