Expanding childcare: time for children, parents and family learning

Expanding Childcare: time for children, parents and family learning includes analysis and recommendations from experts including labour market economists, children development and parental engagement experts, organisations representing working families, childcare groups and family learning specialists.  

The paper considers in particular the advantages and disadvantages of the new childcare entitlements announced by the Government. These extend the existing free childcare entitlements so that by September 2023, working parents with children aged 9 months to 2 years old will join those of 3- to 4- year-olds, who are already entitled to 30 hours free childcare.  

Authors also look at wider issues for childcare including the professionalisation of the childcare workforce, pay and strategies for childcare workforce development.  

The paper looks at the benefits of free childcare and examines its role in supporting not only the important aspects of child development and parental time for work, but also time for parents to develop themselves through adult learning, participate in skills training to get a better job, and engage in family learning to the benefit of the whole family.