Councils chosen to pilot free hours

Extending free provision to 15 hours a week for three- and four-year-olds will be piloted in several 'pathfinder' local authorities, according to the Government's action plan for implementing the ten-year childcare strategy. The pathfinder authorities will be expected to devise models of best practice for delivering the extra hours' provision which meet parent demand for flexibility, maintain continuity of care for the child, and pose no threat to the sustainability of smaller early years settings.