Kate Peach, managing director of Early Years Childcare, started an online petition in the summer calling for more funding for threeand four-year-olds or for nurseries to be able to charge top-up fees.
Campaigners at www.freechildcare.org.uk, set up by Ms Peach, are reporting a rise in nurseries closing, particularly smaller ones.
Ms Peach told Nursery World, 'To cut costs, we offer the free entitlement from 8.30am to 11.30am, so those hours will not cover a mealtime, for example. We offer those three hours every day and on a term-by-term basis. That reduces the cost of those hours so we're not losing as much money.'
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
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
