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29/01/2013
Proposal Will Allow Childminders To Accept More Children
New proposals will allow nurseries and childminders in England to look after more children, providing carers qualifications meet new standards.
The proposals, due to come into effect in the autumn, would make more childcare places available and reduce costs for parents in the "long term", children's minister Liz Truss has said.
Critics however are warning that the changes in ratios could actually compromise quality of care, are unlikely to reduce the overall cost and are likely to be unpopular with parents.
Statutory ratios for carers per child vary depending on age and setting. Ratios for two-year-olds are set to rise from four children per adult to six children per adult, and for ones-and-under to rise from three children per adult to four children per adult.
Ratios for three-year-olds and over would remain at eight or 13 children per adult, depending on whether a qualified graduate was present.
(H)
The proposals, due to come into effect in the autumn, would make more childcare places available and reduce costs for parents in the "long term", children's minister Liz Truss has said.
Critics however are warning that the changes in ratios could actually compromise quality of care, are unlikely to reduce the overall cost and are likely to be unpopular with parents.
Statutory ratios for carers per child vary depending on age and setting. Ratios for two-year-olds are set to rise from four children per adult to six children per adult, and for ones-and-under to rise from three children per adult to four children per adult.
Ratios for three-year-olds and over would remain at eight or 13 children per adult, depending on whether a qualified graduate was present.
(H)
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Workless Households Decrease By 153,000
In April to June 2012 there were 3.7 million UK households with at least one member aged 16 to 64 where no-one was currently working, new figures from ONS show. This represented 17.9 per cent of households and was a fall of 0.8 percentage points, or 153,000 households, on a year earlier, the second consecutive fall. In all, 1.
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One in three final year primary school children are overweight or obese. The percentage of final year – Year 6 - primary school children (generally aged ten to 11) who were overweight or obese increased to 33.9 per cent in 2011/12, up from 33.4 per cent in the previous year.
03 May 2013
10,000 Breast Cancer Cases In UK
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The number of women under the age of 50 being diagnosed with breast cancer each year has reached 10,000. According to Cancer Research UK, one in five cases is among those under 50, though fewer than ever are dying of the disease in that age group.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:Gale, coastal severe gale, northwest winds ease from late afternoon. Scattered showers will fall as snow over the hills at first, becoming isolated from mid-afternoon. Maximum temperature 7 °C.Tonight:Showers, scattered in the evening, will clear by midnight leaving the night dry with clear spells. Cloud will spread east towards morning. Minimum temperature 2 °C.
