Analysis

Breaking barriers in support of more inclusive early education

6 mins read Early Years
Study reveals how policy focus on working families holds back take-up of the funded childcare entitlements for disadvantaged children and highlights examples of councils putting in extra measures to tackle this
Children with special educational needs or disabilities are particularly likely to face difficulties in securing funded places
Children with special educational needs or disabilities are particularly likely to face difficulties in securing funded places - OLGA_DEMINA/ADOBE STOCK

Latest research highlights barriers that disadvantaged families face in accessing the 15 hours of government-funded early education and that the approaches taken by local authorities can play a crucial role in boosting take-up.

Since 2017, the early education entitlements policy has focused on supporting parental employment, first by increasing from 15 to 30 funded hours for three- and four-year-olds from working families and then by giving the same entitlement to younger children with working parents by 2025.

This was a shift away from the original aim of the policy – the entitlement to 15 hours for all three- and four-year-olds and disadvantaged two-year-olds were introduced to support child development, as the evidence shows that access to good quality provision can reduce inequalities in early childhood.

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