You are here: News Thousands of England's poorest two-year-olds missing out on free childcare offer
New research from the Family and Childcare Trust shows a flagship government policy is failing in some areas, leaving over 30,000 – nearly one quarter (26 per cent) – of England’s poorest two-year-olds without free nursery education.
The programme to give 40 per cent of England’s most deprived children high quality early education by September 2014 has not met its target. While 74 per cent of these children have been placed in nurseries and with childminders, there are big differences between local authorities in the proportions of children receiving free early education.
In London just 51 per cent of eligible children had been placed by November 2013. There are 37 local authorities where less than 60 per cent of eligible two-year-olds had been placed by November 2013, of which 25 were in London.
Anand Shukla, chief executive at the Family and Childcare Trust said:
"This flagship policy is vital to the long-term outcomes of England’s most disadvantaged two-year-olds and to close the attainment gap between more advantaged and disadvantaged children.
"We know this is a challenging ask but local authorities must deliver on this policy. They need to make sure that local children’s centres are fully utilised and funded to provide the necessary places for the two-year-olds who are missing out. They also need to take advantage of the time-limited offer of grants and other support available to them from central government to expand provision."
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Contact: Mark Bou Mansour, Communications and Campaigns Manager. Telephone: 0207 940 7535, mobile: 07538 334 772, email: mark@familyandchildcaretrust.org.
Notes to Editor:
The Family and Childcare Trust will release its annual Childcare Costs Survey in full at the beginning of March 2014.
The survey is sponsored by Computershare Voucher Services www.computersharevoucherservices.com and Community Playthings www.communityplaythings.co.uk.
Surveys about childcare costs and supply were sent to all local authorities in England in December 2013. There was a 90 per cent response rate to the survey with the response in all regions in excess of 80 per cent.
The government has extended a commitment by the previous government to offer part-time free early education to the poorest two-year-olds. Eligible children are set to receive 570 hours of free early education (15 hours every week, usually over 38 weeks of the year). By September 2013 the poorest 20 per cent of two-year-olds should have been receiving free early education. In 2013 the Department for Education estimated that 130,000 two-year-olds would qualify for this programme. In September 2014 the offer will be extended to the 40 per cent most deprived children.
Statutory guidance obliges local authorities to find places for eligible children and they are being placed in a variety of settings: private and voluntary sector nurseries, pre-schools, children’s centre nurseries, sessional pre-schools and with registered childminders.
The Department of Education offers £5.09 per hour to local authorities to deliver free early education (this figure is adjusted to using a formula, giving local authorities in London and the South East more money to compensate for their increased running costs). Local authorities then distribute the money to providers.
To help providers, the Government made an additional £100 million capital funding available in 2012 and a further £8 million to London local authorities in December 2013. It has also funded a team of advisers to work with local authorities to help them find places.
The survey showed that less than half (41 per cent) of local authorities had enough places for two-year-olds in all areas.
An average of 74 per cent of eligible two-year-olds were receiving early education, but there was a wide variation in the proportions of children in provision among local authorities. In England there were 37 local authorities where less than 60 per cent of eligible two-year-olds were receiving free early education, of which 25 were in London. The survey suggests that over 30,000 of England poorest two-year-olds are missing out on free nursery education.
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.