Lyttle calls for independent review of early years education and care in Northern Ireland

East Belfast MLA Mr Lyttle, who will speak in support of an Assembly motion tomorrow calling on the Education Minister to introduce a strategy to ensure a more coherent approach to resourcing, training, inspection and access for pre-school early years education and childcare in Northern Ireland, said an independent review could be an important first step towards achieving this aim.

“Families across Northern Ireland have been struggling to secure affordable and accessible childcare and pre-school education for their children,” he said.

“Yet the previous Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister failed to spend approximately £8 million of a £12 million budget for childcare from 2011 to 2015 and have still yet to publish a final childcare strategy.

“The Education Minister now has responsibility and has a golden opportunity to commission an urgent, open and independent review of early years education and care as an important first step towards integrating and increasing the accessibility, quality and amount of free weekly hours available to children and families.”