A 1,000 cash incentive and a campaign to raise the profile of childcare workers in England are part of government plans to recruit more staff.

Thousands of extra nursery workers and childminders are needed, as the expansion of funded hours begins.

More than 100,000 working parents of two-year olds have already registered for the April rollout, according to the Department for Education (DfE).

And early-years charities say the campaign is "too late" to help.

By September 2025, all eligible pre-school children of working parents, from the age of nine months, will be able to access 30 hours of childcare during term time.

The offer comes at a time when the number of childcare providers is falling, mainly because of childminders leaving the profession, although the number of childcare places remains relatively stable.

About 27,500 early-years professionals will be needed to meet the expected rise in demand for places, an 8% expansion of the current workforce, the think tank Nesta estimates.

The recruitment campaign will highlight the important work of early-years professionals and include a 1,000 tax-free cash incentive, trialled in 20 local authorities, for up to 3,000 new hires or staff returning to early years, after three months in the job.