
Has anybody seen a plan? I’m sure there is meant to be one somewhere.
In the seven months or so since announcing the roll-out of free childcare hours for children under three, there has been barely a squeak out of the Government about how it might actually work. Forgetting the not inconsequential factors such as availability, staffing and sufficiency, it would be helpful to know what it might look like in practical terms. The silence is becoming deafening.
Perhaps, beyond the 15 hours for two-year-olds in April 2024, they are assuming it may not be their problem. The funding documents use ‘in due course’, so that probably means on 31 March next year. I suppose the Government is looking towards local authorities to do the work, even though a fair number appear to be going bankrupt.
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