You are here: News The Family and Childcare Trust responds to the Department for Education’s 2014-2015 Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents

The Family and Childcare Trust responds to the Department for Education’s 2014-2015 Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents and new statistics on free early education for two year olds.

Julia Margo, chief executive, Family and Childcare Trust said: 

"We welcome the news that more deprived two year olds are receiving free early education, up from 58 per cent to 72 per cent in the last year. But as welcome as this improvement is, the figures published today also confirm that many disadvantaged children are currently missing out on free early education. Just 78 per cent of eligible children aged between two and four who live in workless households were receiving free early education, compared with 95 per cent of children in families where both parents work.

“This echoes the findings in our own 2016 Childcare Survey, published last week, which showed that currently 41,300 three year olds are missing out on free early education, with over a third of local authorities saying they didn’t have enough childcare for this age group.

“Free childcare is of no help to parents if they can’t find a place for their child. To make sure all children who need it can get a place, we want to see the right to a childcare place brought into line with the right to a school place.”

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Contact: Mark Bou Mansour, Communications and Campaigns Manager. Telephone: 0207 940 7535, mobile: 07538 334 772, email: mark@familyandchildcaretrust.org.

About the Family and Childcare Trust

The Family and Childcare Trust aims to make the UK a better place for families. We are a leading national family charity in the field of policy, research and advocacy on childcare and family issues, with over 40 years’ experience. Our on-the-ground work with parents and providers informs our research and campaigns. We focus on the early years and childcare because they are crucial to boosting children’s outcomes throughout life and supporting parents to work.