When the Department for Education revealed recently that the take-up of funded childcare for the most disadvantaged two-year-olds had dropped from 72 to 68 per cent in the year to January 2019, it raised concerns that it could harm social mobility, one of the key aims of the policy.
The DfE's Provision for Children Under Five Years of Age in England revealed a first fall in the number of disadvantaged families taking up the offer of 15 hours of funded childcare per week, which had steadily risen from 58 per cent in 2015.
Reasons for this fall are complex, according to Claire Harding, head of Coram Family and Childcare. "Families have varied reasons for not using free childcare, including suitable places not being available, places not being flexible enough, not trusting childcare providers, or simply not knowing what they are entitled to, especially if they are new to the UK, or do not speak English," she says. "Some parents tell us that the free entitlements are confusing and it's difficult to know what you can get or how you should apply. We know that parents of disabled children can find it very hard to find a provider who can meet their child's needs."
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