Childcare organisations and sector leaders have told CYP Now that unless the government puts more money into the scheme, sufficient places will fail to be created.
Under the scheme, the country’s most disadvantaged two-year-olds can receive 15 hours of free weekly childcare from a nursery or childminder.
Earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced that local authorities will receive £755m to deliver free childcare places to about 260,000 two-year-olds from next September.
The amount of funding provided to local authorities is based on a national average cost of £5.09 per hour per child, which some childcare professionals say is not enough to cover the cost of delivering the scheme.
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