CHILDCARE bosses are to meet relatives of a toddler who drowned in his childminder's bath -- raising hopes the profession may soon be governed by tighter controls.

Senior officials from Ofsted will talk to the parents of Clitheroe youngster Joshua Massey-Hodgkinson this week.

And today, Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, who arranged the meeting, said he hoped it would lead to an apology for the devastated family.

The 19-month-old boy died in a bath while staying overnight at the home of his Sabden childminder, Wendy Barlow, in April 2004.

Barlow, registered by childcare regulator Ofsted as a childminder, was drunk at the time and was not registered to look after children at night.

Ofsted was heavily criticised after the tragedy for allowing the childminder, originally from Accrington, to register after she admitted binge-drinking.

She pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Preston Crown Court in February and was jailed for three years.

Along with the Evening Telegraph, Joshua's family launched the Justice for Joshua campaign after her sentencing, calling for tighter regulation of childminders, better on-the-job training, easier access to information for parents and greater awareness among guardians of how the system works.

An independent inquiry into Joshua's death conducted by the Lancashire Area Child Protection Committee is due to be published within the next few weeks. It is understood Ofsted has already seen a draft of the report.

Joshua's grandmother, Cathy Massey, said: "We hope the meeting is a sign they will admit to us the system can be tighter in the future. Why else would they be coming all the way up here?

"Joshua wasn't on this Earth for very long but hopefully what happened to him will make a massive difference in the future."

Mr Evans added: "It is highly unusual for an agency like Ofsted to request a meeting like this.

"Something has to be done, and while the report hasn't been published yet, I think Ofsted can see there are lessons they need to learn.

"I am hoping an apology will be forthcoming for the family because they were let down by the system."

A spokesman for Ofsted said: "We are meeting with Joshua's family later this week. It would not be right to comment until after that meeting has taken place."

The Government has already pledged to act on findings from the inquiry.