This is the latest development in a growing row about the Government'scode of practice on providing free childcare places to three- andfour-year-olds. Guidance, published earlier this year, clamps down onthe practice of charging top-up fees to cover the full cost of providingnursery education places. This came alongside increasing parents'entitlement to free childcare from 33 to 38 weeks per year.
Nurseries across England say they are struggling to meet the offer andcannot survive without asking for extra cash from parents. ConservativeMP and shadow education minister Maria Miller, who has tabled an earlyday motion in Parliament to highlight the issue, said: "The fact isthere is not enough money to make free places a reality."
The motion urges the Government to halt the code until it has assessedhow many nurseries will face financial strain. The issue has reachedcrisis point in Kent where the county council has suspended implementingthe code until it gets answers from the Department for Education andSkills.
Miller said she'd heard complaints from across England including Surrey,Hampshire and Solihull. It is sessional care providers who face thebiggest threat, she added.
The Pre-school Learning Alliance has called for a full-scale independentreview of early years funding.
The alliance's chief executive Steve Alexander said: "The Governmentmust acknowledge that current levels of nursery education funding,without the facility to top up fees, means many providers could bethreatened with closure."
He said some alliance members reported councils threatening to withdrawfunding because providers couldn't extend services to 38 weeks. This isdespite the fact the code says providers can offer fewer weeks ifparents agree.
