CYP Now - More than three children are competing for every early years place, study warns

Almost half of under-fives in England live in areas where there are more than three children for every registered early years place, new research finds.

The NEF is calling for more accessible early years provision. Picture: Oksix/Adobe Stock

Poorer families are more likely to be unable to access childcare provision as deprived local authorities are most likely to be struggling to deliver high levels of provision, according to research from the New Economic Foundation (NEF) in its report, A Fair Start for All, which highlights that nearly half of children under five are living with insufficient childcare.

The government is planning to expand funded childcare hours to allow 80 per cent of provision in England to be accessed by families entitled to funded hours the end of 2024.

However, the new research shows that very few poorer households will be able to access the full 30 hours. This is because childcare is something which has to be purchased, with needs more suited to working parents rather than children.

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