Sector calls for 'rescue and reform' of early education and childcare

Behind the 'Rescue and Reform' manifesto is the Early Education and Childcare Coalition (EECC), whose members include early years organisations and charities concerned with children.

To coincide with the launch of the manifesto, EECC has published findings from a new poll it commissioned, which reveals almost three-quarters of voters think the funded hours should be universal, rather than just for working parents.

Key findings from the survey of 2,032 adults by More in Common include:

• Two-thirds (67 per cent) believe that investing in early education and childcare benefits the whole country, not just parents.
• Two thirds (67 per cent)of those that took part think increased Government funding in early education and childcare would improve the life chances of children.
• Over half (53 per cent) feel the number of early years staff is too low.
• More than half (53 per cent)of respondents are concerned about the availability of childcare in England, with 40 per cent saying its difficult to find provision and 49 per cent say it is unaffordable.

EECC manifesto

Guaranteeing that all children can access inclusive, high-quality provision that is affordable is named as one key priority for the next government within the Coalition’s new manifesto.

The long-term vision in today’s manifesto calls for a Government commitment to progressively reduce the amount a family spends on childcare to no more than 5 per cent of total household income by 2034, reducing costs for the lowest-income households as a priority.

Other priorities are - for sustainable and fair funding for all provider types and a new early years workforce strategy.

The manifesto also calls for the creation of an independent National Early Education and Childcare Commission to assess, design and implement recommendations regarding the current system. This is alongside a call for a funding review body to be established within five years to undertake ‘transparent’ annual reviews of rates and make recommendations to Government.

'Continuing with the current flawed model is simply not an option'.

Director of the Early Education and Childcare Coalition, Sarah Ronan, ‘Our polling shows that voters are simply not convinced by recent policy changes. Whether they are parents or not, whether they work or not, they recognise that investing in early education and childcare is good for all of us, especially children, and they want to see progressive policies to support that. Our manifesto sets out what that reform needs to look like. 

‘There is widespread agreement that this is the way forward - for children and parents, for providers and early years professionals, but also for the whole of society. It sends a strong and clear message to all political parties that continuing with the current flawed model is simply not an option, particularly if we want to improve outcomes for all children and the health of the sector.’