The early years workforce crisis could hinder government plans to expand “free childcare”, as 57 per cent of nursery staff are considering quitting the sector, and just 17 per cent of nursery managers said they would increase the number of places they offered, a new report has found.
More than half (57 per cent) of nursery staff and 38 percent of childminders are considering quitting the sector in the next year, research by the Early Education and Childcare Coalition (EECC) and the University of Leeds has found.
The study, Retention and return: delivering the expansion of early years entitlement in England, published today (6 November), comes as the Government prepares to roll out the first phase of its childcare expansion plans, which will offer 30 hours of “free childcare” to eligible parents of nine-month-olds by 2025.
Researchers found that even using conservative estimates, the number of childcare places in England would need to grow by six per cent in order to meet the demand created by the Government’s planned expansion.
