In a letter seen by the Observer newspaper, shadow ministers are reported as having assured nursery providers that they will be given the power to charge supplementary fees if they are in financial difficulties.
But in response to the claims, national childcare charity the Daycare Trust called for an assurance from politicians that the free entitlement of 12.5 hours childcare a week will continue.
Daycare Trust chief executive Alison Garnham said: "Any attack on the free entitlement will be a huge blow to parents throughout the country who feel crippled by the cost of childcare. It is already common practice for many private, voluntary and independent providers to charge top-up fees and we have been comforted by the introduction of the code of practice to stop this. If the code is removed, providers will be given carte blanche to charge extra, and the value of these free places will be lost."
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