The announcement that a free childcare entitlement of 30 hours per week would be extended to all children whose parents work from age 9 months up by September 2025 has generated a lot of excitement.
If landed, it could prove transformational, unburdening families from exceptionally high childcare costs in the earliest years, reducing poverty, empowering parents to make positive choices about going back to work and enabling greater numbers of children to access quality experiences that enhance their outcomes.
The question on everyone’s mind is: can it be delivered?
But for the new offer to become a reality, it will need to successfully harness and build capacity amongst childcare providers. There is a long distance to travel.
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