The issue of funded places continues to dominate the early education and childcare sectors across England, Scotland and Wales. As the voice of the sector NDNA is consistently gathering the latest information on how these policies affect providers and children, using this to campaign and lobby for better policy outcomes.
Research repeatedly shows that high quality early years education and childcare can improve children’s educational outcomes and later life chances as well as narrow the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers from more affluent backgrounds. Investment in early education learning is good for children and supports parents.
From hourly funding rates that do not keep pace with rising costs, childcare funding which remains unspent in government budgets, workforce crises through to complex systems that deter parents from their entitlements and add to providers’ workloads – NDNA is working to address the challenges facing providers.
Key points
- Currently, all three and four-year-olds and some two-year-olds in the UK are entitled to funded childcare
- In England, the allocation is 15 hours for all three and four year olds rising to 30 hours per week in term time for working families
- From August 2021 all three and four year-olds, and some eligible two year olds, in Scotland will be entitled to 1140 hours of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC)
- In Wales, the Childcare Offer is available to all children of working families allowing them to top up their hours of universal early education up to 30 hours of childcare a week for 48 weeks a year.
The Department for Education has published this guidance to local authorities in England allowing voluntary charges for extras such as food, special sessions such as dance or language classes, and trips out.
Resources
England
- Childcare Choices: Providers toolkit
- Childcare Choices: information page for parents
- Legal support for your local authority provider agreements from Morgan LaRoche
- Early years entitlements: operational guidance for local authorities and providers
- View our 2021 closure report for England that highlights how low rates are affecting nurseries in England here
- NDNA’s latest research on council underspends against three & four year-old funding is available here
- Government guidance for local authorities in England.
Scotland
- NDNA Scotland have used the latest figures from local authorities under the Freedom of Information Act, to call for rates to increase to a level that will enable providers to meet the costs of delivering places
- Scottish nurseries are now exempt from business rates (since April 2018) – read more about applying here
- Government guidance for Scotland.
Wales
- Childcare Offer for Wales guidance for Providers
- Childcare for 3 and 4 year olds information for Parents
- Childcare Offer for Wales guidance for local authorities
- Increased Foundation Phase Nursery funding aligning education and childcare rates within the Childcare Offer
- Flying Start information from the Welsh Government.
Get involved – together we are stronger!
Our shared voice is vital to influence change. You can get involved in lots of ways:
- Invite your local MP, MSP or AM and councillors to visit your nursery. Show them the good work you do and how you are affected by funding problems
- Talk to parents about the issue and encourage them to support you
- Speak out – join our media database – we are often asked for real-life case studies and for nurseries that journalists can speak to – email pressoffice@ndna.org.uk
Keep up-to-date with communication from NDNA, such as the email bulletin, Nursery News, Twitter @NDNAtalk and Facebook. Join us to access a wealth of advice, support and help with free early education issues to keep you in the know.