This month, the first phase of the potentially game-changing expansion of funded childcare rolled out across England. Amid problems with troublesome temporary codes, and competition for childcare places, eligible working parents of 2-year-olds can now access 15 hours per week of funded childcare, during term time.
This is ahead of phase two in September, where 15 hours per week of funded childcare will be extended to eligible working parents of children from the age of 9 months to 3 years, and phase three in September 2025, where eligible working parents with a child from 9 months old up to school age will be entitled to 30 hours of funded childcare a week. To qualify for the new hours, the majority of parents must earn more than £8,670, but less than £100,000 per year.
While the new hours have the potential to support many working parents, the rollout has not been without its challenges. Some of these were anticipated in our annual Childcare Survey which has been featured in numerous news articles this past fortnight about the rollout and what it means for parents. Here is a round-up of the coverage:
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, called it a “positive and exciting moment”, asserting that the sector needs time to grow and expand (BBC). Meanwhile, Labour released their own research which found that childcare places in England have fallen by nearly 40,000 since 2010 (The Guardian). However, Labour committed to keep the government’s expanded hours.
