Charities have called for an end to potentially hundreds of thousands of migrant parents being denied access to crucial free childcare because they are categorised as “not present” in the UK.
A letter sent to Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, signed by 21 organisations supporting families and exclusively shared with the PA news agency, said the current restrictions imposed on support could have “severe consequences” for vulnerable children.
Denying many families free childcare due to their immigration status is also at odds with the Government’s bid to boost the workforce and economic activity, the letter added.
Regulation currently denies children, many of whom live in disadvantaged households with a single parent, access to extended early years support seen as crucial to their development even though they are UK citizens themselves.
The condition of “no recourse to public funds” is applied to most people with temporary visas to remain in the UK and means that, in most circumstances, they are unable to access benefits and the majority of childcare support despite many working and paying taxes.
