Nursery World - Exclusive – Children's minister Claire Coutinho: 'A genuinely radical plan'

The Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing says the Government is committed to increasing support for families and the early years sector

Claire Coutinho: 'I am always struck by the positivity and commitment of staff members'

The early years sector is a crucial part of our education system. Sixty-thousand different providers, with approximately 340,000 members of staff, offer more than 1.5 million childcare places to children in England. Not only does access to affordable and flexible childcare allow parents to get back to work and earn, but we also know children who attend a good early years setting are more likely to start school ready to learn.

We have made significant progress in the past 13 years. The coalition Government introduced 15 hours of free childcare for all three- and four-year-olds in 2010; this was extended to disadvantaged two-year-olds in 2013. In 2017, the Government introduced an additional 15 hours of free childcare for working parents as well as tax-free childcare worth up to £2,000 per year for working parents with incomes below a threshold. Despite this progress, we recognise that parents and providers have both been facing acutely challenging circumstances recently.

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