Nursery World - Letter to the minister

The 30-hour offer and the new funding rates have prompted genuine concerns and discontent across the private, voluntary and independent early years childcare sector.

I write to you in the hope of a response that will provide up-to-date evidence to justify the Government’s childcare and early education policy.

With regard to the 30 hours scheme, the Institute of Economic Affairs argues that subsidised childcare distorts the true costs for parents and does not benefit the most disadvantaged children.

When collecting the data to identify the families who will be entitled to the funded 30 hours, the evidence shows that these will be the parents who historically have paid the additional top-up fees set at a realistic rate by the provider.

These are predominantly parents who already work in a profession that offers them the financial ability to afford to pay for quality childcare and education with the necessary wrap-around childcare not covered by the 38 weeks funding, with the addition (for some) to enjoy the luxury of family holidays abroad throughout the year. Why is the eligibility cut-off set as high as £100,000?

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