Staff losses pose risk to childcare expansion, says report
The Guardian|November 07, 2023
An exodus of childminders and nursery staff risks scuppering the government's flagship new funding for parents of young children in England, according to a coalition of early years providers and campaigners.
Alexandra Topping, Carmen Aguilar García
Staff losses pose risk to childcare expansion, says report

More than half of nursery workers surveyed by the Early Education and Childcare Coalition (EECC) said they were considering or planning on leaving the sector in the next 12 months.

In the spring budget, the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, announced plans to massively extend the government's offer of 30 hours of "free childcare" to children aged between nine months and two years by 2025. But the EECC said there were likely to be a "lot of disappointed parents" if staffing meant places were undeliverable.

The report-Retention and Return: Delivering the Expansion of Early Years Entitlement in England - estimates about 180,000 extra children will enter childcare settings by 2025, at the same time as large numbers of staff say they are planning to leave.

The first tranche of free hours - 15 hours of childcare for eligible working parents of two-year-olds - is due to start in April next year.

This story is from the November 07, 2023 edition of The Guardian.

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This story is from the November 07, 2023 edition of The Guardian.

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