Nursery World - Government starts to roll out childcare expansion, as sector highlights ongoing 'challenges'

As the Government’s childcare expansion for working parents of two-year-olds in England gets underway, sector organisations and nurseries continue to warn of the challenges facing the sector.

As of 1 April, working parents of two-year-olds in England are entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare a week during term time PHOTO Adobe Stock

With childcare likely to be a key manifesto battleground in the run-up to a general election this year, Labour released what it called its ‘dossier of childcare chaos’ to coincide with the start of the Government’s expansion and said the plans announced in the 2023 budget were threatening ‘to crash the childcare system’.

While Labour has yet to announce its policy on funded childcare, it has commissioned former Ofsted Inspector Sir David Bell to lead a review on early education.

As of Monday 1 April, eligible working parents are entitled to access 15 hours of funded childcare for the term following a child’s second birthday.

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