A report calls for EYPP to be doubled

According to a recommendation outlined in the Social Mobility Commission’s State of the Nation report 2016 an increase in the EYPP will help children’s social mobility. The report highlights that children in need are not getting the high-quality care they deserve. The Social Commission are asking Government to double the funding for EYPP to enable children from low-income families access better childcare.

At present early years settings are only awarded £300 for each eligible child. Parents are asked to provide evidence of their eligibility. This is only awarded to families with three and four-year-olds.

Key findings from the report;

• • Britain has a deep social mobility problem – the poorest find it hardest to progress but so do families with an annual income of around £22,500
  • in the last decade, 500,000 poorer children were not school-ready by age 5
  • Children in deprived areas are twice as likely to be in childcare provision that is not good enough, compared with the most prosperous areas
  • families where both parents are highly educated now spend on average around 110 minutes a day on educational activities with their young children compared to 71 minutes a day for those with low education. This compares with around 20 to 30 minutes a day in the 1970s when there was no significant difference between the groups of parents.

It is now being asked by the Commission that Government creates a clear set of objectives by 2025. This is to include a new parental support package to reduce children falling behind and to ensure every child is school ready by the age of five

By doubling EYPP funding, it will enable early years providers to deliver high-quality care consistently without the hassle of having to stretch funding. 

To read the full State of the Nation 2016 report click here