Child care costs soar by £276 million a year

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
Parents paying more for childcare

Parents have to fork out considerably more for childcare compared with this time last year

Families across the UK are forking out an additional £276 million this year to meet rising child care costs compared to twelve months ago, according to research by Family Investments.

The research found that 1.5 million mums (one in five) with children aged under eighteen currently pay for childcare which includes everything from nursery school to childminders.

Across the country they are paying an average of £15.33 more each month for the service compared to twelve months ago and collectively this adds up to an additional £23 million a month (or £276 million a year).
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Nursery Nurse bully jailed for 10 months

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
Clare Cartwright

Clare Cartwright has been jailed for 10 months for her appalling behaviour towards children in her care.

A bullying childminder has been jailed for ten months for force-feeding and mistreating toddlers in her care.

Clare Cartwright, 32, lost patience with the youngsters, aged between one and three, and stuffed food into their mouths until some were physically sick.

The registered childminder – herself a mother – also held a three-year-old girl under a cold tap when she refused to eat.

She ran the Little Nippers nursery from her home in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Her teenage staff described her as a ‘bully’ and she regularly swore in front of the children.

She pleaded guilty to four counts of child cruelty which took place over seven months in 2009.
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Nursery assistants take part in research aimed at improving language skills in children

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Child research into nursery learningYork nursery assistants took part in research conducted by the University of York designed to improve the language skills of pre-school children.

Nursery assistants from 13 York nursery schools took part in a 15-week intervention programme between February and June. Targeted at children who show weaknesses in their language skills in comparison to their peers, it was organised by researchers from the university’s centre for reading and language in the department of psychology.

The project is researching the benefits of an oral language intervention programme for children who show areas of difficulties in their speaking at nursery-age.
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Online software helps nursery operate despite flooding

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011
Horn End Nursery Flooding

Horn End Nursery suffered 18 inches of flooding

Despite having flood defences, Horn End Nursery in Stafford was affected by severe flooding.

In the early hours of the morning, water levels had risen to 18 inches inside the building making the nursery inaccessible.

The majority of paper records and computers were lost and those stored at high levels were inaccessible for 3 days.
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Celebrity role model ‘a myth’ for young children

Friday, June 3rd, 2011
Celebrity role models for children

Study suggests that celebrities are not as influential on children as previously believed

Friends, family and teachers are much more likely to influence young children than celebrity role models like actors or footballers are, a study suggests.

A survey of 178 men working in primary schools or nurseries indicated children aged eight or below were unable even to grasp the concept of a role model.

University of Derby senior education lecturer Simon Brownhill said they were busy “finding their feet in the world”.

The researcher also found no evidence men made better role models for boys.

They could often provide a poor example, he said, such as footballers swearing or fouling.
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Nursery owner invents wristband that warns children when to stop playing in the sun

Friday, June 3rd, 2011
Sun protection for children at nurseries

The darkest shade warns the child that UV levels are at it's most harmful

A nursery owner from Birmingham has invented a pioneering product to protect children from skin cancer.

Bali Carty, of Tiny Tots Nursery, in Handsworth Wood, has created Sunbands – which are worn around the wrist and detect harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Sunbands get darker in colour as the rays of the sun become more dangerous – warning youngsters when they need to go and play inside or slap on more suncream. Bali, aged 29, has achieved a patent for the Sunband and is now hoping to attract leading supermarkets to sell the product ahead of a potential summer heatwave.
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