Nursery World - Time to level all the way up

The Chancellor had some tough decisions to make in his Spending Review, but I am not convinced he placed every child at the heart of it by providing the real cost of investment.

June O'Sullivan, chief executive of LEYF says she doesn't believe the Government's investment in childcare will make a 'dent' in the funding shortfall or reduce childcare costs for parents

While we know he needs to balance this with good financial management that pays off some of the huge debt incurred by the pandemic, this should not mean we get the poor to pay for the country’s spiralling debt.

Like many of you, I was encouraged to see that Mr Sunak placed support for childcare and early years at the heart of his Budget and Spending Review – acknowledging that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life – from conception to their second birthday – are critical and require more support. He also recognised that spending on childcare helps parents back into the workplace and a boost for the economy – something which I’ve been banging the drum about for years!

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