Despite private and voluntary early years settings being told for the past few years that the funding they receive for providing free nursery education sessions for three- and four-year-olds is perfectly adequate, the shortfall has hit many hard.
And in the current tough economic climate, the prospect of an extension to 15 hours a week, plus the roll-out of free sessions for two-year-olds, has worrying implications for nurseries' sustainability.
So the news that there is to be a consultation on the free entitlement, which should lead to a new code of practice, will give a glimmer of hope to beleaguered settings (see News, page 4).
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