According to the Department for Education, since the introduction of the free hours for disadvantaged two-year-olds in September, 92,000 children have signed up for the places, leaving 38,000 available places.
Under the scheme, eligible two-year-olds receive 570 hours per year or 15 hours per week of funded early education, which they can take up at any early years setting rated good or outstanding by Ofsted.
The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and education and childcare minister Elizabeth Truss welcomed the figures, which they said showed a huge increase on the 20,000 two-year-olds accessing free early education in 2010.
They went on to say they want more eligible two-year-olds taking up the 130,000 places, which will increase to 260,000 from next September.
The education and childcare minister also called on local authorities to pass on the full amount of funding to providers to ensure that as many children as possible are able to access the places.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said, ‘Early access to high-quality childcare is vitally important to ensure children are ready for school, ready for the world and able to get a good start in life.
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