Struggle to supply free childcare

The majority of early-years providers are delivering the Government’s 30 hours’ free childcare offer – however, they are struggling to do so due to a lack of funding, a new report has revealed.

THE MAJORITY of early-years providers are delivering the Government’s 30 hours’ free childcare offer – however, they are struggling to do so due to a lack of funding, a new report has revealed.

Since last September, three and four-year-olds in England have been entitled to 30 free hours of care a week in term time, up from the previous offering of 15 hours.

But a poll by the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) has indicated that nurseries and childminders are struggling to cover the costs of providing these places.

The union’s latest survey of childcare providers, published today, found that 77 per cent of respondents said they were delivering the 30 hours offer.

However, just 19 per cent said that the funding they received from the Government was sufficient to cover their costs.

And more than two-thirds said that they were cross-subsidising from another part of the school or setting to enable them to offer the additional hours.

Judy Shaw, the headteacher of Tuel Lane Infant School, in Sowerby Bridge, and the chair of NAHT’s Early Years Council, said: “We are absolutely convinced that early-years education is the critical point for intervention to improve the life chances of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and that the quality of provision makes all the difference in whether that intervention is successful.”

A number of nurseries in the region have closed due to the changes, including Coppice Park Nursery, in Harrogate, which claimed it was forced to shut last summer after 30 years due to financial pressures, with managers saying they were “bitter and angry” about the closure and warning that other providers wouldn’t be able to cover costs.

Last year, Harrogate nursery owner Josy Thompson, who has been spearheading a campaign against the scheme on behalf of about 50 childcare providers across North Yorkshire, told The

Yorkshire Post that the only way to make up the shortfall was to charge for additional services.

Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “The Government’s 30 hours free childcare promise should be a boost to parents. But it is not truly free.

“We are seeing that providers are having to make up the funding shortfall by charging parents a higher rate for additional hours outside the school day, or for extras, like milk or nappies.

“Parents only using their free hours are confused to find they are still being asked to make ‘contributions’. And parents who need wraparound provision will not find their costs dropping by anything like 30 hours.

“While all parents will see some benefit, enough childcare to meet a full working day is still prohibitively expensive for many. Ultimately, 30 hours’ free childcare is a great idea imperfectly implemented. We’d urge the Government to listen to the findings of this report.”

The Department for Education stressed that the offer of 30 hours’ free childcare is being “successfully delivered” nationwide, with 294,000 children benefiting last term.

A spokesman said: “We know the cost of childcare can be a burden on families, which is why we are spending more than any other government on support – around £6bn a year by 2020 – to help make sure that every child gets the best start in life.”

Early -years education is the critical point for the disadvantaged. Judy Shaw, headteacher, Tuel Lane Infant School, Sowerby Bridge.