Childcare information in shops

Childcare for all three and four year olds will be available

Electronic kiosks are to be set up in shops providing parents with information about local childcare services.

The government is to set up the touch-screen kiosks in branches of the children's clothing and baby equipment store, Mothercare.

Most parents, particularly mothers, are pushed for time. These childcare kiosks will make it easy and convenient for parents to get information about childcare in their area

Margaret Hodge

Education Minister Margaret Hodge said that there would be further projects involving other shops and supermarkets, with the aim of installing 8,000 interactive information kiosks in the next three years.

"Most parents, particularly mothers, are pushed for time. These childcare kiosks will make it easy and convenient for parents to get information about childcare in their area," said the minister.

The government wants to provide a free nursery place for all three and four years olds, as well as increasing the availability of childcare places for younger children.

In October the government announced plans for the creation of an extra 600,000 childcare places by 2004.

Advertising campaign

The extra places are intended to allow more parents, particularly single parents, to return to work.

This expansion will require the recruitment of tens of thousands of extra nursery staff and childminders - and the minister also announced an advertising campaign, beginning in the new year, to encourage people to consider a career in childcare.

Ms Hodge claimed that efforts to recruit more staff were already proving successful, with 42,000 people having phoned an information helpline and that three-quarters of these planned to apply for jobs or enter training.

But there have been concerns from childcare organisations that the increase in the quantity of childcare places should not be at the expense of the quality and suitability of staff.