Under the Tories, the expansion of subsidised childcare was very much a ‘good news’ story for parents. With its potential to unburden families from exceptionally high childcare costs in the earliest years, what was not to like?
How quickly the mood has changed. The former government’s ambitious plans, which extend to 30 hours’ provision for babies and children by this time next year, are now weighted with doom and gloom. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson was recently grim about fulfilling this inherited policy to its full ambition (NW online, 19 August). She said, ‘I wish I could promise everything is fine. But I won’t sugarcoat it.’
In some ways it is surprising that the Government is now saying it will go ahead with the full roll-out in 2025, when in the run-up to the election it said the Conservatives’ policy was ‘undeliverable’.
We now have a Government which acknowledges the problems facing the scheme and just how weighty they are. Should we be reassured? Phillipson has stated that the Government will work to ‘bridge local gaps in time for September 2025’. But what does this mean? Repurposing school classrooms is unlikely to be the solution.
Resetting the clock, rather than radically changing the agenda, could be one way to ensure that parents are not let down in the longer term.
The fundamental problems dogging capacity will take time to resolve.
In order to tackle issues such as funding and recruitment, the Government will need to take ownership of subsidised childcare and its aspirations. Parents’ expectations cannot now be changed, and sector woes will not disappear overnight; however, policy may be tweaked.
While Phillipson says she cannot promise ‘sunlit uplands’, we all need a little bit of sunshine. A spirit of positivity and intent goes a long way.
