Four new councils have signed up to deliver the government’s
flagship 30 hours childcare offer early, before the programme
rolls out nationally in September.
Dorset, Leicestershire, North Yorkshire and Tower Hamlets will
join the eight original ‘Early Implementer’ councils that
launched the offer last September, building on their work so far
in testing delivery benefits and challenges.
Each council will work with nurseries, pre-schools and
childminders in their region to begin offering the 30 hours of
free childcare places per week to all eligible three- and
four-year-olds from April, doubling the existing 15 hours
entitlement currently available for parents.
Minister for the Early Years said:
“In my visits to the Early Implementer councils I’ve seen the
innovative work that’s going into delivering our 30 hours offer
early. Their efforts are vital to the success of the programme
and these four new councils will build on the work we’ve seen so
far.
“Our childcare offer is already helping to ease the financial
burden of childcare for even more working parents. This is backed
by our record investment of £6 billion per year by 2020 to
support nurseries, pre-schools and childminders in providing
high-quality early years education.”
The 30 hours offer could save working parents around £5,000 per
year with the cost of childcare, helping remove the barriers to
getting back to work or encouraging them to increase their hours
where desired.
The Early Implementer programme went live in September 2016 and
is on track to meet its target of providing free places for 5,000
working parents. Families in Hertfordshire, Newham,
Northumberland, Portsmouth, Staffordshire, Swindon, Wigan and
York are already benefiting from the scheme.
The four additional councils to join the programme will have the
opportunity to test specific elements of childcare delivery, such
as rural geography, or levels of deprivation. Each will work
closely with our existing Early Implementer councils who will be
able to offer advice throughout the launch period and early
delivery.
The 30 hour offer builds on the record investment the government
is putting into childcare –£6 billion per year by 2020. The aim
is to make it easier for parents to work and earn more in the
years before their children start school and will also provide a
financial boost to working parents who already pay for childcare.
The Department for Education has also recently announced £50
million of capital grants for childcare projects in England,
which will create almost 9,000 more 30 hours childcare places in
September.
Notes to editors:
The Department’s own contractor, Childcare Works, is already
working with the eight Early Implementers and will also be
available to support the four new areas with any challenges they
may face.
