CHILDCARE provisions are healthy in Worcestershire despite other UK parents facing a "postcode lottery" in costs and availability.

A report by children's charity, the Daycare Trust revealed that, nationally, places available for children under the age of eight varied from one place for every five children, to one place for every seven.

And the typical cost of a daycare place varies from £107 to £168 a week.

But Worcestershire is bucking the trend according to Councillor June Longmuir, cabinet member for education and life-long learning.

The county has 615 registered childminders and 898 full daycare places already on its books and is on schedule to hit Government targets of another 2,854 new childcare places by 2006.

And in the last two years, 1,153 childminding places were created, against a target of 930, and 898 full daycare places created, nearly doubling its 545 target.

"The figures show we have a good comprehensive list of childcare, both council-owned and within the private sector," said Miss Longmuir.

The county is also at the forefront of the Government's new childcare centres, with Droitwich one of the first 32 places in the country scheduled for the new facility.

"We are well on target to meet all our Government targets by 2006 and I have no doubt we will reach them."

The average hourly rate for childminding in Worcestershire is £2.50, costing parents £62.50 per week, for five hours, five days per week. The average cost of daycare is £122 per week.

Talks on developing a further nine centres are planned throughout Worcestershire to bring the number of children in childcare to 1,685 children by March 2006. The new facilities would create a further 68 places.

The Government is aiming to provide all three-year-olds with guaranteed free nursery education by April 2004.

This entitles parents to take their children to five half-day sessions each week, whether in the public or private sector.