Response to Labour’s announcements on early education and childcare

Responding to Labour’s announcements on early education and childcare today, Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson said, 

“These plans to increase the number of places available to children are an important first step for making the childcare expansion promise to parents work in practice – ensuring there are enough places to deliver it. 

“At the moment, 1.5 million children in England are living in a ‘childcare desert’ with an average of three children for every one place and just 6% of local authorities have enough provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities. It is no surprise that recent polling by the Early Education and Childcare Coalition  found that 81% of parents with children under the age of five were concerned about the availability of early education and childcare. 

“There remain significant questions for all parties to answer, including recruiting and retaining early education professionals. This is one of the lowest paid sectors which is almost entirely made up of women. We need to see a new workforce strategy which must address pay and conditions as well as setting out professional development opportunities.  

“We also need to see early education and childcare offered to every child. Just 20% of the poorest third of families are eligible for the existing 30-hour offer for three- and four-year-olds and the expansion is currently only offered to working parents. We know that high quality early education is really important for closing the attainment gap between children from high and low income families. 

“If Labour forms the next government, we look forward to seeing their plans develop, which should be developed in collaboration with stakeholders, must ensure funding levels are sustainable and should expand the offer so that every child can access high quality early education.

“In the medium term, we also want to see changes to early education and childcare funding, which should be reformed to a supply side model – providing funders directly to early years settings. This would be more like school funding and other public services, recognising early education and childcare as the vital social infrastructure it is”.