30 hours of childcare offer to be rolled out

THE GOVERNMENT’S landmark offer for working parents of 30 hours of free childcare per week rolls out across the country today.

Parents of three and four-yearolds who have registered for a place will join the 15,000 families in the 12 areas of the country that introduced the offer early, including York and North Yorkshire.

The scheme is aimed at saving families around £5,000 per year on childcare. The latest evaluation shows 8 out of 10 childcare providers were willing and able to double their current 15 hours offer, according to the Department for Education.

Education Secretary Justine Greening said: “High-quality childcare not only helps our children get the best start in life, it supports many parents who want or need to work. For too long lots of families really struggled to manage the cost of childcare and that’s why we have delivered on our promise to provide 30 hours free – saving working families around £5,000 a year. Alongside the support we are giving through tax-free childcare and universal credit, it will make a real difference to families’ lives.”

However, providers have warned that parents could face higher fees and extra charges for childcare when the scheme is rolled out. A survey by the Preschool Learning Alliance suggests 74 per cent of the nurseries that responded feel the Government has underfunded the scheme.