The Childcare Act 2006 (c. 21) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
The act defines new duties for local authorities with respect to:
The act comprises four sections:
The act established a reformed legal framework for regulation and inspection of all early years settings.
The act requires local authorities to provide sufficient childcare to meet the needs of working parents with regards to those with disabled children or those on low incomes.
Sections 39-48 introduce the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) which supports the delivery of high quality education and care for children from birth to age 5.
While broadly supporting the original version of the bill, the children's charities 4Children, the Daycare Trust, the National Childminding Association and the Pre-School criticised the lack of provisions for unemployed individuals.
The following orders have been made under this section: