Henley and Marlow Lifestyle Jul - Aug 2024

IT'S A GAME
CHANGER
BUT NOT
FREE
When the Chancellor
announced his plan
for expanding the
childcare support for
parents with young
children last year,
families across the
country would have
been jumping for joy.
Some of these children who will be
benefiting from the new places for nine
month olds in September had not even
been born then!
It’s true that early education and childcare
is very expensive, especially for our
youngest children. This is a time when
parents are going back to work after
parental leave and can least afford to take
the hit. Research has shown that many
parents end up working just to pay for
their child’s nursery.
So the offer of “free” hours for their child
is a game changer. Unfortunately it’s not
free. It will make a big difference to family
finances, but there will still be costs.
The reason that childcare has been so
expensive over the last few years in the
UK compared with similar countries is
because the Government contribution
has been so low. There has only been
some help for children once they turn
three, unless they are from disadvantaged
backgrounds and that’s only from age
two.
Unfortunately although the Government
offers funded hours, the money they pay
for these has never covered the actual
costs of delivering high quality early
education and care. When we speak to
providers, 83% say funding rates do not
cover their costs and at a lower rate than
inflation. As a result of underfunding,
early years providers have had to
increase the cost of paid-for hours to
make up the shortfall.
From September, children of working
parents aged nine months upwards
will be entitled to 15 hours of funded
childcare per week. This is great news
– not just enabling parents to work but
high quality early education and childcare
supports children’s development,
wellbeing and learning.
There are catches however:
• The 15 hours are only during
term time – most parents work all
year round so most providers will
“stretch” these hours across the
year – reducing the hours per week
• The Government only pays for
the actual childcare sessions,
which does not include any meals,
snacks, consumables or additional
activities – so families may see
settings make charges for these
• Depending on the length of your
sessions, you will need to pay for
any additional hours you need at
the nursery’s usual fee especially
for early or later hours.
National Day Nurseries Association which
represents nurseries across England,
Scotland and Wales recommends that
parents speak as soon as possible to
their local providers to find a place for
their child. Our research showed that
many nurseries were concerned they
wouldn’t be able to meet demand.
Ratios of staff to children are higher for
our youngest children so in many cases
they need to recruit more practitioners.
We hope everyone who wants and needs
these funded childcare sessions gets a
place in their preferred local childcare
provider. We are sure you will all feel
the benefits but until the Government
changes the funding system, they won’t
be free either to you the parents or those
who are delivering them.
By Purnima Tanuku OBE,
Chief Executive of National Day Nurseries
Association (NDNA)
www.ndna.org.uk
8 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk