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The first phase of the government’s pledge to expand free childcare begins today, allowing parents in England to benefit from 15 hours of taxpayer-funded childcare for their two-year-olds.
The Prime Minister said the scheme would “build a brighter future for families and help grow the economy” and was expected to benefit “tens of thousands” of parents in the coming weeks.
But Labor has said families will struggle to access places, following consistent warnings from within the industry that staff shortages and tight budgets will make it difficult to provide needed places. .
How will the government’s promise of free childcare work?
Previously, all parents of 3- and 4-year-olds are now entitled to 570 hours of free childcare per year, or up to 15 hours per week.
However, from April 1, this was extended to parents of two-year-olds who work at least 16 hours a week.
In last year’s spring budget, Prime Minister Jeremy Hunt announced an extra £4 billion in free childcare for all parents of children under five from the end of their parental leave.
The scheme is being implemented in stages and the full package, which provides 30 hours of free childcare for all children aged nine months to five years, is not expected to be available until September 2025.
The Prime Minister said: “Last year, we committed to the largest expansion of childcare services this country has ever seen, and today we are delivering on our plan to provide 15 hours of free childcare to parents of two-year-olds.
“We want to give working families the peace of mind that they are supported, and our full expansion will save parents £6,900 a year, helping them build a brighter future for their families and We can contribute to economic growth.”
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said the government was on track to have “more than 150,000 children in government-funded places”.
It added: “Supporting childcare costs has huge knock-on effects, giving parents the freedom to work more hours, put more money in their pockets, and give them peace of mind to try new careers and passions.” It also contributes to economic growth and opens up new career opportunities in highly rewarding fields. ”
Will daycare centers be able to cope with the increased demand?
There are growing concerns in the childcare industry that childcare centers will struggle to provide the space they need to expand due to staffing shortages and limited funding.
The Labor Party harshly criticized the Conservative Party’s announcement of a “childcare pledge without a plan”, saying that the number of childcare centers was reduced by more than 1,000 between March and December last year, when demand for childcare centers was expected to be high. He pointed to Ofsted data showing that. rapidly increasing.
Around 180,000 more children will need child care by 2025, at the same time many staff are planning to retire, according to a report published in November by the Early Years Education and Care Coalition (EECC). It’s about.
It is estimated that approximately 100,000 additional staff will be needed to meet the additional demand, but more than half of all childcare workers surveyed are considering or planning to leave the industry within the next 12 months. It turns out that he answered.
A survey released in February by the National Childcare Center Association found that 54% of private, voluntary, and independent daycare owners are unlikely or able to provide additional childcare for two-year-olds. Turns out I’m still not convinced.
Neil Leech, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance (EYA), warned that the plans were unworkable. “If there is one thing that has become clear from the first phase of entitlement expansion, it is that if there is no desire to invest in the infrastructure necessary to make it happen, it is impossible to make childcare fees even more free,” he said. It is meaningless just to promise that.”
He added that many nurseries, childminders and kindergartens had “no choice” but to limit the number of new funding sources they offered.
“It is therefore not at all surprising that many parents accessing the location for the first time find it difficult, if not impossible, to access,” Leach continued.
Last month, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan failed to guarantee that the government’s promise of free childcare for working parents would be delivered on time.
She said she was “confident” that childcare commitments would be met, but insisted she had “no control” over the individual childcare businesses responsible for expanding childcare provision.
What alternative is Labor offering?
In response to these concerns, Labor released a document on ‘childcare disruption’, which included evidence from parents and nurseries across the UK.
Some parents complained about high costs and extra fees, while others reported 18-month waiting lists at some nurseries, the documents found.
One nursery school also warned it could be “forced into bankruptcy” under the government’s expansion proposals.
“The unplanned Conservative childcare commitments announced in Budget 2023 threaten to collapse our childcare system in the same way that the Conservatives destroyed our economy,” the Labor Party document said.
Mr Phillipson said: “After 14 years of Tory failure, Labor will get on with the job and finally deliver much-needed childcare to parents.
He added: “Only Labor will reform our childcare system and deliver accessible and affordable early childhood education that gives children the best start in life.”
Labor last week called for clarity on childcare plans if it wins the next election, after Mr Phillipson said he had no intention of continuing the government’s £4bn plan to expand free childcare. I was under pressure.
The shadow education secretary announced last year that Labor would carry out a review of early England provision, led by former Ofsted inspector Sir David Bell, if it won government.
Many in the childcare industry have criticized the government’s existing plans, with the first phase starting today, and Neil Leech, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance (EYA), said the plans were He warned that it was not possible.
“If there is one thing that has become clear from the first phase of enfranchisement, it is that unless there is a willingness to invest in the infrastructure necessary to make it happen, simply promising free childcare is not enough. That alone is meaningless,” he said.
He added that many nurseries, childminders and kindergartens had “no choice” but to limit the number of new funding sources they offered.
Mr Leach said: “It is therefore not at all surprising that many parents accessing the location for the first time find it difficult, if not impossible, to access.”