Giving evidence to the Education Select Committee this morning (9 May), the children’s minister Claire Coutinho confirmed that the Government will shortly be issuing a consultation on how funding for the expanded free entitlement for working parents of children from nine months old will be distributed.
The consultation is expected to be launched this term.
Expansion of the childcare offer for working parents is planned as –
- April 2024: 15 hours for all two-year-olds
- September 2024:15 hours for all children aged nine months and above
- September 2025: 30 hours for all children under the age of five
Ahead of the approaching summer holidays, the DfE will also consult on funding rates for 2024/25 and how two-year-old funding is distributed, as well as confirm the 2023/24 rates.
Nursery World has asked the DfE for clarification on the number of and timings of the consultations.
The Early Years Alliance said that given the Government’s ‘recent track record, providers are right to be sceptical about what the consultations will mean in practice.’
Chief executive Neil Leitch explained, ‘There’s no question that it would have been much more beneficial if the DfE had engaged and consulted with the sector before announcing the expansion in the Budget. If it had it would have realised the extreme pressure it was likely to place on a sector already under considerable strain.
'And, as the outcome of the ratios consultation shows, the Government must not just listen to the sector’s concerns and still charge ahead with changes regardless, but make sure that any sector-specific plans reflect what is best for the sector and, importantly, the child.’
The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said that the consultation on funding rates needs to ‘reflect all the costs providers have faced, and there needs to be an annual review.’
Chief executive Purnima Tanuku added, ‘We need more action on the current staffing crisis, funding, business rates and VAT if providers are going to be able to deliver the funded places that the Government is offering to parents from this time next year.’
