Guidance describes the quality of experience which children should experience in registered childcare, but how this is applied depends on local interpretation. Excellent quality assurance and enhancement programmes have been designed by voluntary bodies, and individual local authorities and others but they are not available to or used by all childcare providers. There are also anomalies in the current regulation arrangements. The nature of the inspection and regulation regime varies according to the nature of the provider rather than the needs of children. For example, minimum staffing ratios are enforced for playgroups, childminders and nurseries but not for pre-school education classes in schools catering for children of the same age.
Some providers are subject to more than one form of regulation.
Children Act standards have not always been applied consistently. Many older children are indirectly protected by the Children Act requirements because they use childcare which is registered and inspected for younger children. Nonetheless, at present anyone can offer to look after children of eight and over. Parents understand that informal arrangements, for example with babysitters, are not regulated and make their judgements about care for their children in this light. They may not appreciate, however, that group care for older children can be totally unregulated and may not therefore always make appropriate enquiries before choosing this provision for their children.