The Early Years Strategy report to the Harrow cabinet points out that the most disadvantaged in the borough are more likely not to attend early years provision, due to the high rates of childcare costs – the most commonly used types of registered childcare are day nurseries.
This disparity is concerning considering that Harrow’s Special Educational Needs and Disability Strategy identifies the need for high quality provision and outcomes based on a continuity of provision for all children, but especially vulnerable children including disabled children and those with special educational needs [SEND].
Also, the well argued Childcare Sufficiency Assessment report informs that parents/carers of children with special educational needs/additional needs are less satisfied with childcare compared to parents/carers of children without SEN/additional needs (42% compared to 72%), and that 25% of parents/ carers who have children with SEN can’t find childcare for their child, compared to 2% of parents/carers whose children do not have SEN/additional needs. A similar lack of suitable early years provision for children was identified in 2011.

Overall, only 65% of parents/carers report being satisfied/very satisfied with childcare in 2016 where White British parents/carers are 8% more likely to be satisfied with their current childcare arrangements than families from other ethnicities (77% compared to 69%) – seemingly a decline from the 2011 picture.

It would be interesting to see the effectiveness of the Harrow’s Early Years Strategy in addressing the  gaps in the Early Years provisions.