However, in order for this offer to live up to parents' expectations, it must be funded at a level that covers the costs of high quality care and delivered in partnership with the early years sector. Many providers find the current level of funding too low and we are seeing growing childcare shortages across the country. We will be doing the sums on this in the coming days.

We also need to make sure that childcare achieves its potential to narrow the achievement gap before children start school. Targeting support to children with working parents in higher income families puts this at risk, as it will mean higher income families receiving more early education and childcare than lower income families.

However, the decision to relax ratios is a move in the wrong direction - it does not put quality at the heart of delivery and is unpopular with parents and providers. Rather than fixing the problems in the childcare system - with recruitment and retention of professionals at forefront - it exacerbates them.