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Budget 2023: How government can boost funded childcare take up

3 mins read Guest Blog
Speculation is mounting that Wednesday’s Spring Statement will include an expansion of childcare support.
Nesta says 'our current system needs to work better for young children and hard-pressed families'. Picture: Rio Patuca Images/Adobe Stock
Nesta says 'our current system needs to work better for young children and hard-pressed families'. Picture: Rio Patuca Images/Adobe Stock

More support for the two million households with young children is overdue and there is widespread agreement that our current system needs to work better for young children and hard-pressed families. 

More funding is necessary but there is a difference between making money available, and making sure it is used. Government schemes almost universally suffer from low take-up, and existing childcare offers are no exception. Only around 40 per cent of eligible families currently use their tax-free childcare allowance. Free childcare hours do better but even the 15 hours of government funded childcare offer is only taken up by 72 per cent of eligible families.

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