Nursery World - Majority of nurseries may not offer 30-hour childcare

The Government’s plans to double free childcare for parents of three- and four-year-olds could come to a grinding halt as fewer than half of the country’s nurseries say they are likely to offer the places.

Beset by an ongoing underfunding crisis, just 45 per cent of nurseries in England are likely to extend the number of hours they offer, while the majority of nurseries say they are unsure, according to the National Day Nurseries Association's annual survey.

The NDNA says the funding gap is now the highest ever, with the average nursery losing £34,000 a year, or £1.68 per hour on average for a three- and four-year-old place.

The NDNA warned that ‘tens of thousands’ of parents across the country could struggle to find places unless the Government takes action.

From April the National Living Wage will also push up the average payroll by 10 per cent, the NDNA predicts, with nurseries forced to push up fees for parents.

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