THE region's development agency, Advantage West Midlands, should be placing a higher priority on boosting local available childcare, according to the TUC.

Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) are currently rewriting their regional economic strategies for the Department for Trade and Industry, and the TUC wants access to childcare to play a much greater role in the revised strategies.

RDAs already support projects on workforce development, investment and research, according to the TUC.

Partnerships

In many instances RDAs act as a regional hub of social partnerships, so they are ideally placed to spread best practice, host awareness raising events, sponsor company projects and encourage companies in pooling resources.

"Regional economic development is about creating the regional economy of the future, which means adapting struggling industries, developing workers' skills and nipping problems in the bud before they slow the economy down," said Christine Wood, TUC Midlands regional secretary.

"Local access to childcare is just the sort of issue that will damage our productivity and cause skill shortages if it is not prioritised soon.

Headache

"Lack of affordable childcare remains a headache for many working parents, particularly women. As a result, many women are not given the choice of returning to work, which drains valuable skills and experience from our economy."

TUC leaflets, including advice for working parents, are available on the website, www.tuc.org.uk and from the telephone helpline 0870 6004882.

Lines are open every day from 8am-10pm.

Information about finding and accessing childcare is available from the Childcarelink information line 0800 096 02 96 or www.childcarelink.gov. uk