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by Jess Gibson

Applications for the next phase of the early entitlement expansion – where families of eligible children who will be at least nine months old by September can apply to access 30 hours of funded early years provision a week – open today. 

It follows the rollout of 15 funded hours for children from nine months last September, with government figures stating that 499,592 children have accessed this offer so far. 

The government says that the rollout is “breaking down barriers to opportunity and playing a key role in supporting British business and kick-starting economic growth” citing the results of a government survey of parents who took up the entitlements last September. The survey found that, of those respondents, lower-income families are seeing the biggest impact from the offer, with one in five of those earning £20,000-£40,000 having increased their working hours as a result of the 15 hours brought in last year.  

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “This government has a clear Plan for Change to break the unfair link between background and opportunity across this country, which starts by ensuring our children start school ready to learn. 

“Early years is my number one priority, and making sure families are able to benefit from this rollout is a promise made, and promise kept. But this is just the beginning. 

“Through the hard work of the sector, supported by our record investment, landmark school-based nursery rollout and focus on vital early learning support, we will deliver an early years system that gives every child the best start in life.” 

Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said: “Despite the positive spin that the government is putting on the progress of the early entitlement expansion, we remain extremely concerned about the long-term viability of this offer.  

“As the Labour Party rightly highlighted when in opposition, the early years sector in England has been severely underfunded for many years, creating an unsustainable financial pressure on nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across the country. 

“Now, despite welcome positive rhetoric on the importance of the early years, not only has this situation not improved, but recent increases in National Insurance contributions as well as the national minimum and living wage, combined with a tightening of the rules on charging, have – for many providers – made things worse. As our own recent research has found, these combined pressures have meant that a large proportion of providers are likely to be forced to limit the number of funded places they offer or, in some cases, opt out of the offers altogether. 

“Add to this the fact we are experiencing one of the worst recruitment and retention crises in recent memory, and it’s clear that, without further investment into the sector, current policy is simply unsustainable.   

“If the government is to have any chance of successfully delivering this policy – which means ensuring that parents can not only access a funded place, but on the days they want, at the times they need, and at the setting of their choice – then the solution is clear: it must provide the financial support the sector needs, both now and in the future."