This one day online conference focuses on next steps for the early years and childcare sector in England.

Delegates will discuss key issues for early years providers and parents - and how they can be addressed - in light of developments, including:
• the Government’s new childcare offer which extends free childcare to cover younger children, announced in the Spring Budget
• recommendations to exempt nurseries from business rates, and other outcomes from the Education Select Committee’s recent inquiry into support for childcare and the early years.

With concerns from the Education Select Committee over the extension’s effectiveness, and how accurately funding reflects the costs and complexity of the system, delegates will assess how parents and guardians can be supported through challenges surrounding the choice, affordability and availability of childcare.

Policymakers and delegates will look at the future for the childcare market, including how burdens on providers and the numbers facing closure can be reduced, as well as assessing next steps for improving the availability of childminders across England, with calls from the Select Committee for radical financial and regulatory reform.

Further sessions will consider priorities for the early years workforce, including implications of the changing qualification landscape.

Delegates will also discuss the impact that formal childcare has on children under two and how to support parents and guardians who to stay at home to look after their children.

We are pleased to be able to include keynote sessions with: Neil Leitch, Chief Executive, Early Years Alliance; and Rob Wilson, Commissioner, Social Mobility Commission.

Overall, areas for discussion include:
• funding and costs: help for parents with the costs of childcare - options for reducing financial burden on providers, including business rates - the future of the early years and childcare market
• quality: maintaining and growing standards of provision with the rising child to staff ratio - best practice in engagement with parents and carers
• early years workforce: priorities for training and professional development - improving recruitment and addressing high staff turnover - measures to ease workload and diversify the workforce
• SEND: ensuring adequate training for early years providers - raising awareness - supporting children and parents.