Day nurseries across England are finding it difficult to continue offering free childcare places to three- and four-year-olds as the Government's nursery education grant is failing to cover their basic costs and some parents are asking for refunds.
The grant, currently worth a minimum of 1,248 a year or 416 a term, gives the parents of three- and four-year-olds up to five free two-and-a-half-hour sessions for 33 weeks of a year. But the National Day Nurseries Association has noted growing problems with the scheme as day nurseries are losing money because of it.
NDNA chief executive Rosemary Murphy said, 'All nurseries and playgroups have to ensure that children have two-and-a-half hours a day of free nursery education. Then, if there is any extra money left in the pot, it goes on improving provision, such as staff training or new toys.
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