Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has encouraged eligible parents to apply for expanded government-funded childcare hours set to begin in September. The initiative will allow working parents of children aged nine months to three years in England to access 30 hours of childcare per week during term time, marking the final phase of the government’s childcare expansion plan.
Despite this offer, there are ongoing concerns about insufficient staff and available places. Currently, all three- and four-year-olds in England can receive 15 hours of government-funded childcare, irrespective of their parents’ employment status. Working parents will see an increase in eligibility to 30 hours of funded childcare for children aged between nine months and four years. To qualify, parents generally need to earn between £9,518 and £100,000 annually. Those on specific benefits may also be eligible for some childcare hours.
Applications for free childcare hours can be made starting when a child is 23 weeks old, with funding beginning after the child turns nine months at the start of the new term following September, January, or April. These hours are meant to cover 38 weeks of the year.
However, the government has indicated that to match demand, an additional 35,000 childcare staff and 70,000 places will be needed by September 2025. Although there was some increase in childcare places recently, the distribution has not been even across the country, leading to concerns about “childcare deserts.” Additionally, recent statistics indicate a decline in access to free childcare among two-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds.
As the government faces criticism regarding funding rates against rising operational costs, some nurseries have threatened to withdraw from the funded hours initiative, which could further impact parents seeking affordable care options.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cql26knn4kzo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss