Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, commented:
“The Chancellor said today that she is 'proud' of the
government's 'childcare offer' and yet, as it stands, the
government is presiding over a system where families across the
country are struggling to access affordable care and education,
while far too many providers face a daily battle simply to keep
their doors open.
“The government claims to be committed to giving every child the
best start in life – how then can it justify the decision not to
include a single measure to support the early years sector in
today's Budget?
“With minimum wage rates set to increase once again, and settings
still feeling the sharp effects of last year's national insurance
increases, without urgent action, we are likely to see early
years prices rise, the availability of places fall, and in the
worst cases, providers forced to permanently close.
"The Chancellor today took welcome steps to support those
families most in need of support through the removal of the
two-child limit and yet, many more will continue to struggle to
access the early years places they need because of a continued
lack of government action on this vital issue. And while we
recognise and welcome plans for a wider review of the early years
system, the fact is the sector needs support now.
“The government has talked a lot about the high value it places
on the early years. Today was – once again – a missed opportunity
to prove it.”
