Today (8 July) Bridget Phillipson, The Secretary of State for Education, will give a keynote speech in Oxford advocating for the Government to expand the funded early years entitlement offer to benefit all children.  

Currently, the early years entitlement offer of 30 hours of funded childcare can only be accessed by households where all parents are in work. The Secretary of State’s speech will state that this has widened the disadvantage gap for children in low-income families who often will not benefit from formal childcare and early education.  

The Education Secretary is expected to argue that expanding the childcare offer to low-income families would help even more parents into work through ensuring they can afford high-quality childcare. Bridget Phillipson will also reflect on the power of early years provision to support children to thrive into adulthood. 

Ka Lai Brightley-Hodges, Head of Coram PACEY comments:  

“Coram PACEY, alongside many others, has long called for every child, regardless of their background or circumstances, to benefit from the expanded early education offer. If the Government is serious about giving every child the best start in life, it must act on the Education Secretary’s call to move towards a universal childcare offer. The current gap between children who are eligible and those who are not is too significant to ignore.  

“To make this a reality, the Government must ensure the early years sector is fully funded and adequately supported to meet increased demand and deliver the expansion sustainably. This must be accompanied by significant investment and a commitment to review and reform the early years funding system so that it works for all provider types, including registered childminders.  

“As we outline in our Magic of Childminding report, childminders play a vital role in supporting disadvantaged families, children with SEND, and single parents by providing flexible, affordable, and high-quality childcare. Yet their numbers continue to decline. As we await tomorrow’s latest childminder numbers to be released by Ofsted, we are calling for an ambitious childminder workforce strategy to prioritise the sustainability of the workforce, reverse the decline and ensure families have genuine choice over the childcare that best meets their needs. Only then can the Government deliver an expanded childcare system that is accessible, sustainable, and works for every child and family.”