I'm soon finishing my maternity leave after taking 8mths off and the changes the industry have seen over this time are huge. I believe that the cost of childcare will continue to go beyond the reach of normal working parents in the future if the government doesn't inject more money and incentive into funding quality services.

I also find some changes very refreshing and exciting such as the introduction of The Early Years Learning Framework. I think it is a great tool for helping to teach parents about our role in supporting children to reach their full potential. Yes we provide a nurturing environment in which to care for children but i feel that i am also paid to help develop children's skills in all aspects of their life. Good quality childcare does set out goals based on the children's interests and needs and it's up to us to educate parents about whats developmentally appropriate. I also think that it's about looking for teachable moments and dedication to following what the children want to learn about. While making balls with the dough for instance "lets make big ball and a little ball with this yellow dough" your child has just learnt about size, shape and colours etc. Documenting this shows parents how to teach children through play by role modelling. Having a drawing centre with words and letters to copy if the child is interested is another way to role model to parents how children learn when it's child directed. I agree there are alot of disillusioned staff in CC right now because there is so much change but at the end of the day CC will continue to operate because without it the country would stop. It gets under my skin also that the industry is so fragmented between different sectors defining our job. CC workers don't band together like other industries because there is so much nastyness between community based and private CC.
I send my child to a community based centre because i love the staff and they have a great play based learning program. I work in a independent private childcare centre which is equally as great and has twice the equipment is overstaffed etc. Don't just diss out a centre thats private before looking at the merits of the individual service. There was actually a study completed which said that independent private childcare did equal the quality of community based organisations.

My service has a range of qualified and unqualified staff and we balance each other out. While i might be good at programming and documentation my team mate might be great at remembering to take little Johnnie to the toilet and making sure all the nappy charts are filled out.
I think that it's a good thing to get all staff to do cert 3 but don't really agree with the early childhood teacher when we already have 3 diplomas with over 50yrs experience between us. When that teacher comes in what is she going to provide us with that we aren't already doing???

Anyway i am very passionate about this topic so i'll stop now lol