Alliance launches early years survey on impact of wage rises

The online survey has been launched by the organisation, formerly the Pre-school Learning Alliance, to gather provider views and experiences ahead of increases to the national minimum and living wage on Monday 1 April.

Since the Government announced early years funding levels would remain frozen until 2020, the Alliance has called for funding rates to match the true cost of delivering childcare.

In late 2016, the organisation founded the Fair Future Funding campaign which now has more than 7,000 parents and providers signed up and calls on the Government to make childcare provision financially sustainable in the long term.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said, ‘Anyone working in the early years knows that the 1 April represents a financial cliff-edge for the sector. The maths is straightforward enough: staff costs represent around three-quarters of providers’ outgoings and they’ve increased every year since childcare funding levels were set and frozen.

‘I’ve already spoken to many providers this year who are struggling to balance the books and are incredibly worried about what increases to wages will mean for their business.

‘But with a Comprehensive Spending Review due to take place later this year, this is a unique opportunity for providers to ensure that the Chancellor, wider government and the general public are in no doubt as to the severity of the challenges facing the PVI early years sector.’

All responses will be strictly anonymous, and the survey will take around five minutes to complete.

Results will be used to inform the Alliance’s ongoing work with Government on the shortfalls of early years funding against rising annual costs.

• The survey will close at 5pm on Monday 25 March.