The Early Education and Childcare Coalition (EECC), made up of more than 30 organisations and charities across England, is calling on the Government and all political parties to prioritise early years education and childcare at the next general election.
The organisations and charities involved include:
- Save the Children
- PACEY
- TUC
- National Children’s Bureau
- The Federation of Small Businesses
- The Fatherhood Institute
- The Early Years Alliance
- UNICEF
- Pregnant Then Screwed
- NDNA
- Oxfam
The coalition says it will ‘work with all political parties to shape the future of policy’, bringing insight and learning from experts in the sector as well as those with lived experience of the challenges on the ground.’
It will be carrying out research into public models of funding, as well as look at how to scale the early years workforce to meet expected increased demand for care when the expanded funded entitlement comes in. The coalition will also publish a report into public attitudes towards early education.
'The current system is not working for any of us'.
Sarah Ronan, acting director of the Early Education and Childcare Coalition, said, ‘The current system is not working for any of us, and it will continue that way unless we see more ambition from our political leaders.
‘Their plans for reform are either to expand the current broken funding model or are so vague it’s hard to know what’s around the corner.
‘The skyrocketing fees that parents are forced to pay have been well-documented, but this isn't just about affordability; it's about availability, equal access, and quality experiences for children and for the people that educate them. It’s about the poorest children being locked out of essential high-quality early education and care and a workforce that is underpaid and undervalued.’
‘We have this really favourable, really rare window of opportunity to transform the lives of children and all families, as well as the economy. But we have to be braver, we have to be more inclusive about what the solutions look like. The coalition is the route to a better future for the early years, and this movement to shape that future starts now.’
- The Coalition offically launches on 7 September
