Parents are likely to see extra costs and may struggle to find places, according to the online survey of childcare providers, carried out last week, which also found that a quarter of providers think it is ‘likely’ that they will close as a result of the 30 hours.
While 95 per cent of providers that responded currently offer the 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, just 44 per cent said 'yes', they plan to offer parents the 30-hour entitlement; 36 per cent said they were ‘unsure’; and 19 per cent said ‘no’.
The research shows that while funding concerns are a significant factor in a provider's decision on whether or not to offer the extended entitlement, practical concerns also play a role, with 43 per cent of those opting out pointing out that they are not actually open for 30 hours a week (the reason given most often by sessional providers).
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