Responding to a report by the NAHT on the Government’s 30 hours
free childcare offer, Cllr Roy Perry, Vice Chairman of the Local
Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said:
“Councils are committed to ensuring that parents have access to
high quality, flexible childcare so that all children get
the best start in life.
“Since last September, councils and providers have been
delivering the Government’s commitment to an additional 15 hours
of free childcare for working parents, bringing the total to 30
hours.
“However this report reaffirms concerns councils have had that
the funding behind the scheme is not enough to secure this
provision for everyone who wants it. We have previously warned
about the impact on quality, with a risk that insufficient
funding will lead providers to employ less qualified staff or
struggle to provide enough support for children with additional
needs or disabilities.
“As we approach the end of the scheme’s first full year, the
Government needs to carefully evaluate and learn from the
experiences of local areas to ensure that there is no reduction
in the quality of early education and care provided.
“Councils need to have both adequate funding and sufficient local
flexibility to work with their providers to ensure that all
families have access to high quality care that meets their
needs.”
