The Childcare Act 2006 (c. 21) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Provisions The act defines new duties for local authorities with respect to: improving the Every Child Matters outcomes for pre-school children childcare for working parents parental information services
Structure of the act The act comprises four sections: Part 1 - duties on local authorities in England Part 2 - duties on local authorities in Wales Part 3 - regulation and inspection arrangements for childcare providers in England Part 4 - general provisions
Provisions The act established a reformed legal framework for regulation and inspection of all early years settings.
The act requires local authorities to provide sufficient childcare to meet the needs of working parents with regards to those with disabled children or those on low incomes.
Early Years Foundation Stage Sections 39-48 introduce the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) which supports the delivery of high quality education and care for children from birth to age 5.
Reception While broadly supporting the original version of the bill, the children's charities 4Children, the Daycare Trust, the National Childminding Association and the Pre-School criticised the lack of provisions for unemployed individuals.
Section 109 - Commencement The following orders have been made under this section: The Childcare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/3360 (C. 121)) The Childcare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 2 and Savings and Transitional Provisions) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/1019 (C. 41)) The Childcare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional Provision) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/2717 (C. 106)) The Childcare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/785 (C. 35)) The Childcare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 5 and Savings and Transitional Provisions) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2261 (C. 101)) The Childcare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 1) (Wales) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/17 (W. 6))
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