Moved by
Baroness Massey of Darwen
2: Before Clause 1, insert the following new Clause—
“Welfare of children in the delivery of childcare under this Act
(1) In exercising her duties under this Act, the Secretary of State shall—
(a) hold the welfare of all children as paramount in the delivery of childcare in England;
(b) promote the progressive development of persons and institutions which provide childcare;
(c) promote the effective execution by local authorities of their childcare duties under Part 1 of the Childcare Act 2006;
(d) ensure that childcare provision under sections 1 and 2 provides valuable early years education and contributes to closing gaps between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers; and
(e) ensure that childcare in early years settings should provide caring and positive experiences which support children’s development and prepare children to thrive at school and in later life.
(2) In this Act “welfare” in relation to childcare means the welfare of children in childcare in so far as it relates to—
(a) physical and mental health and emotional welfare;
(b) protection from harm and neglect;
(c) education and recreation; and
(d) social and economic welfare.”