Nursery World - Children's commissioner calls for overhaul of early years system in England

The children’ s commissioner for England has called for an emergency rescue package for nurseries to prevent thousands of closures as a result of Covid-19, and a complete overhaul of the early years system.

The children's commissioner is calling for a complete overhaul of funding and services for pre-school children

In a new report out today, Anne Longfield is calling for a new cross-government strategy led by a Cabinet minister for the early years.

The children’s commissioner said that too many disadvantaged children are already behind before they start school and is calling for a ‘Best Beginnings’ programme, with an expansion of 30 hours funded childcare, for all children two-to four-year-olds and 15 hours for all one-year-olds ‘so that early years education is seen as part of ordinary life, in the same way that school is. This would be backed by an ambitious plan to match the investment other countries achieve in their early years, and ensure quality is high,’ the report said.

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