Nursery World - Policy: Weighing the impact of 'free' childcare on disadvantaged children

The expanded entitlements could widen the inequality gap, finds Ivana La Valle, visiting scholar at the University of East London

A robust national strategy and an action plan are needed to ensure that the expansion does not undermine the work that had gone on the past to close the gap.

April 2024 saw the start of the roll-out of the expanded childcare entitlement for children of working families in England. Whether enough places on an ongoing basis will be available to satisfy demand from eligible families is still an open question.

But what has received much less attention to date is the potential implications of the policy for children who are not entitled to it – particularly disadvantaged two-year-olds who should also be able to access funded early education. Previous experience suggests that these children may be crowded out of early education, further worsening inequalities in access and development, and that action should be taken to ensure that these children do not miss out.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included