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Free childcare scheme under threat from staffing crisis

Free childcare scheme under threat from staffing crisis

26 January 2024  

The Prime Minister has pledged to offer working parents of two-year-olds 15 hours of care a week from April while working families with children up to the age of four will eventually receive 30 hours of free childcare a week.


However, the plans have come under criticism this week following reports that the sector staffing crisis, as well as delays to funding packages and issues with IT, risked endangering the rollout.


On Tuesday, an early years expert warned the sector recruitment crisis is so dire that even with sufficient government funding, there is not enough staff available to meet the rising need for childcare places.


Prof Sally Pearse, the strategic lead for early years at Sheffield Hallam University, said many childcare workers had re-evaluated their careers during the Covid pandemic, and are continuing to leave the profession for jobs that give them more flexibility, such as working from home, and better pay.


She added: The free early learning as it is configured currently doesn't cover the cost of delivery if that is the bulk of what the provider is delivering. And is the reason why in areas that are disadvantaged you are least likely to have access to a nursery place already.


On top of that the whole sector is currently facing a recruitment and retention crisis so they just cannot recruit the staff so even if the funding was right, they still wouldn't have the staff available to meet a rising need for childcare places. It's a perfect storm.


Meghan Meek O-Connor, senior policy advisor at Save the Children UK, said: Staff in the early years sector are skilled workers dedicated to supporting children but are operating in a system stacked against them financially.


We know many are leaving the profession altogether when faced with low wages and spiralling operating costs.


We are also investing hundreds of millions of pounds to increase rates paid for government-funded hours, which can be used to support staff salaries, and are providing a package of training, qualifications, and expert guidance worth up to 180 million.

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