Yesterday, the charity published the shocking findings of its Freedom of Information (FOI) investigation which revealed that ministers have been aware that early years settings were severely underfunded for years and that the 30-hour childcare policy would lead to higher costs for parents.
Speaking at the organisation’s annual conference yesterday evening, Mr Leitch said that early years had been ‘on the frontline throughout the crisis’, but the Government had failed to ensure that settings ‘had the support to operate safely and sustainably’.
He said, ‘When the Government announced last year that schools could apply for funding to meet additional cleaning costs, worth up to £75,000 – early years was excluded.
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