Early years experts issue warning over Tory childcare plans

By The Press Association14th April 2015News EnglandChildcare, Early Years, General Election, News England

Early years experts have warned that the Conservatives’ pledge to double free childcare for pre-schoolers may not be practical.

Under proposals announced in the party’s manifesto today, all three and four-year-olds would be eligible for 30 free hours of care a week – up from 15 under the current system.

But the Pre-School Learning Alliance said that while in theory any move to improve the availability of childcare was positive, it was not convinced that the Tories’ plans were feasible.

Nurseries and families are already being forced to plug a shortfall in government funding for the current 15 free hours, the Alliance said, adding it that this historic under-funding needs to be addressed if the offer is to be expanded.

The Tory manifesto says: “We introduced 15 hours a week of free childcare for all three and four-year olds and the most deprived two-year-olds.

“And because working families with children under school age face particularly high childcare costs, in the next parliament we will give families where all parents are working an entitlement to 30 hours of free childcare for their three and four year-olds.”

The manifesto does not state how the extension would be funded.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said: “Although in theory any steps taken to improve the availability of childcare are positive, we would seriously question how feasible this pledge is in practice.

“At the moment, Government funding does not cover the cost of delivering 15 hours of childcare for three- and four-year olds, and so it has been left to providers and parents to make up the shortfall.

“It is difficult to see, therefore, how plans to double the current offer without addressing this historic underfunding can be implemented without leading to even higher childcare costs, or risking the sustainability of the sector altogether.”

Research published by the Alliance at the end of last year concluded that the current scheme to offer free care for young children is in “crisis”, as the money available does not cover the cost of providing good quality places.

As a result, nurseries and pre-schools are being forced to make up the difference out of their own pockets.

Money to pay for the free 15 hours is given to local councils by central government to hand to nurseries and pre-schools that have children taking up the entitlement.

The Alliance’s study found that Government funding for the scheme only covers four out of every five children taking up the offer.

It suggested that the average hourly cost of providing a funded childcare place for a three or four-year-old is £4.53, but nurseries and pre-schools are funded at a rate of £3.88 per hour per child on average.

Anne-Marie O’Leary, editor of Netmums, said: “Our new election survey shows nine in 10 parents think politicians don’t understand the pressures hardworking families face – but maybe this is finally beginning to change.

“With the Tories planning to double the free hours of childcare for working parents of three and four-year-olds from 15 hours to 30 hours, and Labour pledging 25 free hours, whoever is in government after May 7 should help make work pay for parents.

“Crucially, the Tory plans address the issue of top-up fees for free hours which have seen parents asked to part-fund their so-called ‘free childcare’.

“With childcare typically eating up a third of working parents’ income, these plans will make a major difference to family finances and will be welcomed by mums and dads.

“Just two days ago our members said increasing help for working parents was their biggest family-focused policy demand. So it’s very positive to see politicians listening and ordinary, hardworking families being put at the heart of government decision-making.”