Released today, the 'About Early Years' annual report from Ceeda finds that the number of childcare places per head has fallen in the most deprived local authority areas but increased in the least deprived areas.
Settings are collectively facing a funding shortfall of hundreds of millions for delivering funded childcare for two-, three- and four-year-olds, the data shows.
About Early Years has pitched government-set funding rates against rising delivery costs and found a £600m gap for settings delivering both ‘free’ entitlements.
The analysis finds that the average cost of early education and childcare for two-year-olds is now £6.90, 32 per cent more than the average funding rate paid to PVIs for these places.
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