More support urgently needed if Government aims are to be fulfilled

EARLY years sector is in dire need of more support if government’s expansion dream is to be realised. To say that England’s early years sector has faced its fair share of challenges would be an understatement. From ratio changes to the pandemic, it’s clear to see just how resilient the sector is.

Now, it faces a new challenge as 30-hours of ‘free’ early education and care is expanded to eligible children aged between nine months and two years by September 2025.

Since the policy was announced, ministers have repeatedly claimed that their promise of free childcare will be delivered.

But, ask anyone working in a nursery, pre-school or as a childminder and they will tell you that the reality is very different.

Firstly, there’s the issue of underfunding. Before the expansion was announced funding rates consistently struggled to keep up with rising delivery costs, with the results of our own Freedom of Information request showing that the Government knowingly underfunded the sector.

Since then, while rates may have increased ahead of the expansion, the fact remains – it is still far from enough to cover the cost of providing high-quality early education and care.

And yet, funding isn’t the only obstacle facing this policy. Capacity has long been a significant cause for concern, with setting numbers falling by 18% in the last three years.

Even those that can remain open are likely to struggle. Earlier this year an Alliance survey showed that 68% of settings were full – before the rollout had begun, leaving many providers with no choice but to limit the number of places they can offer.

Add to this the fact that the sector is in the midst of a staffing crisis, and that 50,000 extra educators are needed both this year and next to meet expansion demand – and it’s absolutely right to question how the sector will be able to deliver this.

It should, therefore, come as little surprise that just weeks into the first phase of the rollout cracks in the government’s promise to parents are starting to show.

At the Alliance we’ve heard of parents accessing places for the first time finding it difficult – if not impossible – to do so. Meanwhile, families who have been able to get a place are likely to see that their fees for paid-for hours have sharply increased.

What’s more, warning signs for future phases of the expansion have been impossible to ignore.

Research from Coram showed around a quarter of local authorities are confident that they will be able to deliver enough places to meet September’s phase of the expansion – which will offer 15 hours to children aged nine months onwards. Just 12% said the same for the final phase of the rollout in September 2025 which will offer a total of 30 hours to children aged nine months and over.

So, make no mistake, despite all the Government rhetoric, as it stands the expansion is not even close to being workable.

Therefore, as the rollout continues, the Government simply must start listening to the early years sector and prioritise fixing the existing problems it has created. Anything less and a complete and sustainable rollout of the expansion will amount to nothing more than a pipe dream.

‘So, make no mistake, despite all the Government rhetoric, as it stands the expansion is not even close to being workable.’