CYP Now - MPs to investigate childcare costs

The House of Commons education committee has launched an inquiry to investigate why early years education and childcare “has become too expensive for a growing proportion of young families”.

Committee chair Robin Walker said there is 'cross-party hunger to fix childcare'. Picture: Parliament UK

The inquiry will examine concerns that the current system of early years entitlements, which is based on parents' earnings and employment statuses, and the Tax-Free Childcare Scheme, is “too confusing and underutilised”.

They cite an Early Years Alliance poll of 20,000 parents, carried out last year, that found almost all believe childcare is too expensive.

Recruitment and retention problems in the early years sector are also being looked at, with MPs referencing Social Mobility Commission evidence that low pay and social status as well as high work demands are contributing to increased staff turnover.

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