Charity's manifesto calls for a chief early years officer within government

Within its manifesto, the charity recommends the next government establish a chief early years officer within the education department to ‘safeguard the interests of early years educators’.

It argues that ‘More than any other stage in a person’s life, the early years hold the power to improve social, cognitive and economic outcomes’, so should be ‘reflected in government.’

The manifesto also calls on the next government to:

• Introduce and fund a workforce strategy and introduce annual monitoring of pay and conditions to address challenges with recruitment and retention. The strategy should address continuing professional development, career progression and mandatory pay levels across the PVI sector.
• Bring the EYPP in line with the rate schools receive.
• Introduce responsive SEND funding.
• Make sure funding meets the cost of provision.

Lydia Hodges, head of Coram Family and Childcare, said, 'High-quality childcare boosts children’s outcomes in childhood and beyond, but parents tell us they struggle to find a childcare place, and that the costs are too high. It’s even more difficult if their children have special educational needs or disabilities, or if they’re on a low income. Alongside that, providers are facing a workforce crisis.

'So what would a childcare system that works in the best interests of children, parents and society actually look like? Our manifesto sets out the reform needed to fix the issues of high costs and lack of places, to resolve the workforce crisis and remove the barriers to early education for all children, no matter their needs or their parents backgrounds.'