Network Whispers - funding gap, tax errors, ministers a go-go

FALLING SHORT The Government’s announcement of £66 million for the childcare sector in the latest spending review works out at just £46.28 per child per year, according to the Early Years Alliance’s Fair Future Funding Campaign. According to Ceeda calculations, the total shortfall for the PVI sector alone is £662 million. Many childcare providers have already reached the tipping point – expect more childcare price hikes and more closures, says the Alliance.

IN A FIX Following last month’s latest Tax-Free Childcare glitch where providers received incorrect payment references, HMRC confirmed that the issue had been resolved and all affected providers contacted. However, since it was apparently fixed, settings have reported errors, including one in Somerset whose payments are coming through badged as the Post Office Bank’s new incarnation, National Savings.

GAVIN UP New(ish) Minister for Education Gavin Williamson confirmed £14 billion funding for schools last month, but when Lucy Powell MP pushed him on providing additional funding for maintained nursery schools, he replied, ‘I took the opportunity to visit a maintained nursery school in Sheffield to gain a proper understanding of the value that those schools bring and their impact on children in the early years.’ How enlightening.

PLUS ÇA CHANGE A collective groan as Kemi Badenoch is replaced, albeit temporarily, as children’s minister after just one month due to maternity leave. The new incumbent is MP for Chippenham Michelle Donelan, a former marketing executive for The History Channel. After Liz Truss in 2014, we had Sam Gyimah, Robert Goodwill and Nadhim Zahawi, so Donelan is the sixth incumbent in six years with childcare responsibilities. Unless there’s a general election first, in which case…