Childcare crisis set to get worse

Torridge doesn’t have enough childcare workers because of public transport issues and low pay.

As the government moves towards funding more free childcare for children from nine months old next month, Torridge councillors fear the district won’t be able to cope.

Cllr Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin (Lib Dem, Shebbear and Langtree) said Petroc College in North Devon had the capacity to train three times more students to be childminders but not enough people are interested.

She told Torridge District Council’s external overview and scrutiny committee the college had a 100 per cent success rate of students getting jobs once qualified and they mostly stay in the area.

“It’s just a case of getting that message out there,” she said.

She called for a meeting of interested parties including the college and Bideford Children’s Centre so they can attract people into the industry.

“There is already a crisis in childcare here in Torridge. Parents are being told they are going to have 30 hours of free funding for children from nine months old, but who is going to provide that childcare when there is already a waiting list for all the providers across Torridge.”

Cllr Annie Brenton (Lab, Bideford West) said Bideford Children’s Centre needed to take a pro-active role, but had not held a board meeting since the end of last year.

The meeting was told that many nurseries are closing because of financial worries, low pay and a lack of public transport to college and places of work.

Representatives from Petroc College recently toldTorridge councillors that transport is a stumbling block to education in the area.