The shape of family life has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. There are now far fewer stay-at-home mothers than there used to be. For many people working patterns have changed. The previously standard nine-to-five job is increasingly being replaced by shifts.

So what happens to the children of families in which there is no adult at home at either the beginning or the end of the day as well as the middle? If they cannot be left in the care of a relative or neighbour, they must be found a place with a childminder or in a nursery. The hours immediately before or after school must be covered.

Getting the right sort of care can be hit and miss. So Bradford Council's plan to offer help by making the care and education of children up to the age of eight the responsibility of a special new unit is a helpful and sensible way forward.

As Councillor Ralph Berry says, it is common sense to put things such as pre-school and after-school clubs and childminders along with nurseries and the early years of primary education under one umbrella. It will make life easier for parents, who will be able to approach the unit rather than having to consult a number of different departments.

It will also make it easier to come up with co-ordinated policies with which to apply for funding from the Government. In fact, the Council should lose no opportunity for letting the Government know about the scheme and how it is progressing, with a view to it being taken up on a national scale.

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