£1.5bn a year is a huge sum of money, and Gordon Brown's doubling of the childcare budget in last week's spending review is probably more than most interested parties had dreamed of (see News, page 4, In my view, page 34). The planned network of children's centres, bringing together childcare, education, family support and health services under one roof, is something that groups such as the Daycare Trust and Kids' Clubs Network have been lobbying for. And the joined-up approach is mirrored in the creation of a new inter-departmental unit covering childcare, early years education and Sure Start, headed by...