PARENTS of pre-school children are being asked to give their views on a scheme to offer nursery places to all four-year-olds by next September.

Education chiefs in Blackpool have set up an early years task group to plan the introduction of the project.

The group is liaising with playgroup leaders, childminders and private day nurseries to produce a blueprint for Blackpool, but it also wants to hear from parents.

The initiative enables parents to have five free sessions of childcare each week, each lasting two and a half hours, for at least 33 weeks of the year.

Parents will still have to pay for any extra sessions.

A plan is also being drawn up to extend nursery places for all three-year-olds.

Task group chairman Mrs Janet Morris said: "It will mean a lot to parents with four-year-old children who just miss out on being able to start school because their birthday falls after the cut off date of August 31.

"It will also help people who work or who wish to work because it will pay for at least part of a place in a private nursery where the full working day is covered."

Parents who would like to comment on the needs of their children should write to: Janet Morris, Chairman of the Early Years Task Group, c/o The Educational Psychology Service, Albert Road, Blackpool, by January 1 1998.

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