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Current government policy is a risk of undermining its aim to ‘break down barriers to opportunity’ at the earliest possible opportunity, Alliance CEO Neil Leitch is set to warn this year at the Alliance’s annual virtual conference.

The event, titled ‘No child left behind: putting the needs and voices of children at the heart of decision-making’, will take place virtually later today (Thursday 26 June) at 6.15pm.

Neil’s warning comes ahead of the final phase of the expansion of the early years entitlement in September, a policy that is set to put further strain on early years providers. According to an Alliance survey from March 2025, six in 10 providers are considering reducing or cutting three- and four-year-old funded places altogether due to financial pressures and insufficient government funding. Meanwhile, recent research from an Early Education and Childcare Coalition survey found evidence that support for children with special educational needs and disabilities is being cut back, with nearly half of settings either reducing intake for children with additional needs or considering doing so from September.

In his speech, Neil will argue that current policy often does more to embed, rather than tackle, early inequality. He will critique early entitlements as an example due to the fact they are currently almost exclusively available to ‘working families’, saying:

“Imagine a world where you had to earn a certain amount of money before your child could attend primary or secondary school 5 days a week. A world where if you lost your job and struggled to get a new one, your child would only be allowed in school for two and a half days a week as a result.

“There would be a public outcry.

“And yet, that is exactly what happens in the early years – where what’s written on a parent’s wage slip is somehow allowed to determine their child’s access to early education.”

Neil will also draw attention to the significant challenges that currently face the sector, mentioning the unsustainable financial pressures many settings are experiencing as a result of the combination of national insurance rises, minimum wage increases, and recent updates to charging guidance.

He will go on to note recent statistics showing that record numbers of families are reliant on baby banks, a quarter of children under four don’t have enough to eat, and a third of children live in poverty – a figure set to rise further over the next five years.

The conference will also feature keynote addresses from Dr Melernie Meheux, educational psychologist, certified play therapist and BPS Division of Educational Psychology Committee member and Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate.