Free childcare hours – Why ministers must value the Early Years

The new government needs to address longstanding challenges, especially surrounding “free childcare hours”. It also needs to recognise the importance of the sector, says Neil Leitch…

There’s no doubt that when a new party comes into power, regardless of which party that is, it’s a change that offers at the very least the sense of a fresh start.

That said, given the scale of the challenges currently facing the early years sector, the novelty of a new government is likely to be short-lived.

As Labour begins its tenure, providers are facing a myriad of problems, all of which need urgent action.

Entitlement expansion

The next phase of the entitlement expansion is less than two months away. However, fewer than half of local authorities are confident that they will have enough capacity to deliver places.

Meanwhile, Alliance research shows that providers were grappling with waiting lists, staffing shortages and space constraints. This was before the “free childcare hours” expansion even began.

Yet, when considering the backdrop against which the expansion has been delivered, should this come as a surprise?

Sector funding

Despite recent increases, sector funding continues to fall far short of the cost of delivering so-called “free childcare hours” early entitlement places.

Meanwhile, low pay and limited career progression opportunities mean that attracting and retaining staff to the sector remains a real challenge.

As a result, the sector is struggling not only to meet the increased demand that the expansion has created, but also to meet the needs of existing families.

According to recent Ofsted figures, over the past year, more than 1,000 settings have permanently closed. Meanwhile, places have increased by less than 1%. Families in the most deprived and economically challenged areas will find it the most difficult to access an early years place.

At the Alliance, we have long argued that funding that reflects the cost of delivering early education and care, and a comprehensive staffing strategy that values both retention and recruitment in equal measure, are both vital if the sector is to be able to sustainably deliver high-quality early education places.

Priorities

While it’s clear these asks must be an immediate priority for the new government, we know that such action will only come about when there is a tangible change to the way the sector is viewed.

For far too long, people have dismissed educators working in nurseries, childminding settings and pre-schools as babysitters. In reality, they provide vital early education that lays the foundations for children’s future development and life chances.

Despite the wealth of evidence demonstrating the importance of the first five years of a child’s life, over recent years, the need to ensure access to quality early education has slipped further and further down the government’s priority list.

On those rare occasions when the government has included the sector in policy plans, this has largely been via a focus on “cheaper childcare”.

The early years is viewed as a vehicle through which to support parents to work. This is rather than there being any recognition of the transformative impact of early education and the irreplaceable support countless settings provide families.

Challenges

Let’s not underestimate the scale of the changes at hand. At the Alliance, we are under no illusion that we can resolve these overnight.

But for there to be even a chance of turning the fate of the sector around, it is vital that ministers recognise and value the early years as an integral part of the education system and treat it accordingly.

They must work with and listen to those who do this vital job day-in and day-out. It is they who are the experts on what the sector needs not just to survive, but to thrive.

So as the Labour government looks to the future and at how best to support the sector, it’s apparent that the task is not an easy or simple one.

But while many challenges remain, a clear focus on valuing the sector and its workforce, genuinely consulting and engaging with those on the front line, and crucially, putting the needs of the child at the heart of any future strategies, is surely a good place to start.

Neil Leitch is CEO of the Early Years Alliance.