The consultation, which closed on 16 September, sought views from childcare providers on proposed changes to childcare regulations in England, including the relaxation of staff:child ratios from 1:4 to 1:5 for two-year-olds.
The Department for Education has said the move would be introduced in a bid to reduce childcare costs for parents.
In their responses to the eight-week consultation, early years leaders have warned that a ratio change will reduce the quality of care provided and adversely impact child welfare. Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance (EYA), commented that relaxing ratios would be “a catastrophic and retrograde step for the sector”, and argued that sufficient funding is the only way to achieve affordable, quality, and sustainable care and early education.
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