By Shannon Pite
The final phase of the early entitlement expansion, which entitles children from eligible working families aged nine months and above to 30 hours a week of government-funded care and education, has now launched.
The government says that the offer, which applies across 38 weeks of the year, will see “over half a million children” will benefit from 30 hours a week of funded childcare and save parents “£7,500 a year, per child”.
According to the Department for Education, new government polling has found that 29% of parents say the support will enable them to up their work hours, while 9 in 10 families “have secured one of their top three preferred providers”.
The government has also launched an all-new Best Start in Life website, with a range of advice and information for parents.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
“It was never going to be easy, but against all odds we’ve delivered through our Plan for Change.
“And this is just the beginning. My vision for early years goes beyond this milestone. I want access to high-quality early years for every single family that needs it, without strings and without unfair charges.
“Over the next few years, that is my commitment to parents.”
However, Alliance CEO Neil Leitch warned that continued government underfunding is set to undermine the entitlement offer. He said:
“With the entitlement expansion to be fully rolled out by Monday 1 September, the government will be responsible for an estimated 80% of the early years sector’s income – meaning it’s more critical than ever that early years funding rates actually cover the cost of delivering places.
“And yet, despite the positive government rhetoric on the importance of the early years, the harsh reality is that under current levels of funding – particularly given the huge impact of national insurance increases – many providers will struggle to keep their doors open in the coming year, while those that do are likely to struggle to deliver the affordable, flexible service that families need.
“If the rollout of the early entitlement expansion is to truly succeed, it needs to deliver a system where families can access the places they want, when and where they want them, and where consistently high-quality care and education is delivered by a stable, experienced workforce. But this simply isn’t possible without adequate investment.
“As such, alongside the longer-term implementation of the Best Start in Life strategy, we continue to urge the government to take urgent action to tackle the financial challenges facing the sector now. The stakes have never been higher.”