There is a possibility disadvantaged children will miss out on free childcare places
If government fail to get the funding right for the 30 hrs free childcare then this could lead to disadvantaged two-year-olds missing out on free childcare. Many childcare settings will have no choice but to cut back the offering of free two-year-old places in order to offer the extended free entitlement for three years olds. The decisions to make this move lies with the government in getting the funding right.
The DFE have confirmed the new average funding rates but for many childcare setting this still isn’t enough to provide the extended free hours.
The £2.7 billion invested by the government has seen the quality of care in settings rise and the progress in children’s development rise since 2013, however, the government are still unable to track the effectiveness of the invested money in the funding of the free entitlement.
More importantly, there is no data link to quality of the individual setting that the children attends. There is also a conversation to remove the EYFS profile next year.
The figures of parents accessing the free childcare shows a great demand for this. The DFE need to ensure what is being invested can actually be seen on paper regarding the impact it is having on children’s learning and development.
Disadvantaged two-year-olds are those children that are in need of accessing the free entitlement, this shouldn’t be jeopardised by the funding amounts for three-year-olds. The government need to sort this out and fast.
Childcare settings are more than happy to offer free childcare to those children who are eligible both two-year-olds and three if the price was right. At present many settings rely on additional payments from parents to help keep them afloat, however, the time will come when parents aren’t in a position to do this anymore then what?
If childcare setting have no other choice but to reduce the help offered to two years this will surely affect the children and families leading to child poverty. What will happen to the government’s aim of narrowing the gap between deprived children and their peers if there are fewer childcare places are offered to disadvantaged children?
I find it hard to see how children are under privileged when they have there parents at home with them all day, I would love nothing more than to spend everyday with my child before he goes yo school. I had to go back to work o make ends meet when my little boy was 11 months and didn’t get free Child care until he was 3 although it still isn’t free as I still have to pay in the school holidays whilst I’m at work. If I didn’t work or couldn’t be arsed I would get free child care from the age of 2, to me that not fair