LGA responds to Family and Childcare Trust's survey

8 Feb 2017 12:07 PM

Cllr Richard Watts, Chair of the LGA's Children and Young People Board, responds to the Family and Childcare Trust's survey into the Government's 30 hours free childcare offer.

"Councils are committed to ensuring that parents have access to high quality, flexible childcare so that all children get the best start in life.

"From September, councils and providers will be delivering the Government's commitment to an additional 15 hours of free childcare for working parents, bringing the total to 30 hours. However, councils remain concerned that the proposed increase in funding will not be enough to secure this provision for everyone who wants it.

"Government must use the learning from local areas that have been piloting the offer to ensure that there is no reduction in the quality of early education and care provided.

"When the offer is rolled out across the country, councils will need to have both adequate funding and sufficient local flexibility to work with their providers to ensure that all families have access to high quality care that meets their needs."

Related information:  

https://www.familyandchildcaretrust.org/quality-childcare-put-risk-extending-free-hours-childcare