Coalition Plans for Children, Families & Education

The new government's approach towards the early years and family sectors is being made clearer. Today's post is simply a collection of links to news stories which outline some of the most important changes:

• Last week saw the publication of The Coalition: Our Programme for Government; sections 14 and 26-28 should be of particular interest to regular site visitors
• All payments to Child Trust funds will be scrapped by January
• As part of government cuts, £670 million will be cut from education spending, although schools and Sure Start are protected
• Many quangos will be most affected by the cuts; Becta is to close, while the QCDA, the Children's Workforce Development Council, the School Food Trust and other organisations will all have their budgets reduced
• The National Children's Bureau has criticised the decision to axe the Play strategy
• It's been confirmed that parents will be given the opportunity to set up their own 'free schools'

If there's anything else that's been announced in recent days that you feel deserves a mention, please share it with other readers by leaving a comment.