Die Entwicklung integrierter familienunterstützender - Qualiflex.lu

England – 2. In-depth description of selected programmes and services
quently, links between the two are strong enough to ensure seamless delivery
of services. The headteacher, for example, stands on the voluntary management
committee. Funding is provided by many different agencies, although
its primary sources of revenue are the local authority and Barnardos
(the original managing organisation). The local authority provides funds in
the form of daycare, nursery provision and New Opportunities Fund grants
(TDA-Case Study: Four Acres primary school, 2005).
2.5 Which of these services are organised
according to market principles, how much
weight do they carry within larger institutions,
and to what degree are they supported and
integrated or linked with other services?
The Sure Start programme is largely based on market principles, as it creates
incentives for communities to incorporate private and independent services
into their publicly funded child welfare programmes. Funding for many
childcare services comes from a variety of sources. The Sure Start, Extended
Schools and Childcare Group provides a directory of funding
sources to which parents and local communities can apply according to their
needs. In addition, Sure Start makes use of a range of providers, from the
local to the national level in maintained, private and voluntary sectors. For a
example, in the voluntary sector the Red Cross, ChildLine UK, Kidscape,
and the National Children’s Bureau all work in tandem with Sure Start programmes
and with schools.
In the private sector, private childminders are encouraged to join networks
based on Children’s Centres and Extended Schools. Responsibility
for organising these networks is delegated to local authorities, while funding
opportunities are offered by the national government. In addition, the government
offers tax credits for disadvantaged parents and funding for a
Business Support Officer (BSO) who liaises with local authorities to help
them apply for further funding.
Thus, Sure Start as a whole aims to make use of the resources already
available in the private, independent and voluntary sectors by providing an
integrative framework in which, ideally, all sectors, public and private, can
support each other.
One important feature of the childcare strategy has been the Childcare
Tax Credit (CCTC). In an effort to make childcare providers self-sufficient,
the government offers capital funding and short-term revenue funding as
start-up aid, but expects providers to rely henceforth on parent fees. Parents
could then theoretically claim CCTC to reduce the cost. Knowledge of this
tax scheme varies across sectors and geographical areas, making it difficult
to assess its effect (Smith, 2007). However, the CCTC is not without its
critics. Some unions and tax experts suggest that the tax credit could have
19