With UK inflation reaching double figures for the first time in 40 years, NDNA chief executive Purnima Tanuku has called on the Government to place early years funding at ‘the heart of the political agenda’, warning that providers cannot pass on rising costs to families struggling to cover their own expenses.
‘As inflation soars into double figures pushing up costs, so too does the cost of delivering high quality early education and care,’ she said.
‘Obviously childcare providers cannot keep passing on that cost to parents who are already trying to cope with all their other rising bills. We know that nurseries are doing everything they can to keep costs down for parents but they need to remain sustainable as businesses too. Every nursery that has to close causes heartbreak for the local community and can be devastating for a young child.’
The Office for National Statistics said the consumer prices index rose by 10.1 per cent in the year to July, up from 9.4 per cent in June.
It is only the fourth time in 70 years that inflation has breached the 10 per cent threshold.
The NDNA said that childcare costs for parents in the UK were among the highest in OECD countries because governmental support was among the lowest.
In England, funding rates increases by the Department for Education have reached a maximum of 3.8 per cent, while just two local authorities in Scotland have ‘come close to keeping pace’ with inflation, Tanuku said, although the Welsh Government has recognised rising costs with a 12.5 per cent increase in funding.
Tanuku added, ‘If our governments invested sufficiently in our child’s earliest years, then both parents and providers would be able to concentrate on supporting our children’s development instead of trying to juggle their finances.
‘If providers could pay higher wages to their dedicated and qualified staff, it would help with recruiting and retaining staff too. This needs to be at the heart of our political agenda now.’
