Powell, who has taken over as chair of the influential All Party Parliamentary Group on Nursery Schools and Nursery Classes has warned that nursery schools, of which there are currently around 400 across England, could become "extinct", due to government plans to change the way childcare providers are funded.
Under government proposals, outlined in August, all childcare providers, whether they are private, voluntary or maintained, will receive the same funding rate by 2019.
However, there have been concerns from the sector that this will leave nursery schools, which are council-maintained, worse off because they typically have higher costs due to employing higher qualified staff.
Last month, the Family and Childcare Trust found that nursery schools will be worst off from the new proposals, with around a fifth of these providers losing funding.
Powell told delegates at the APPG's meeting in Westminster this week that nursery schools are crucial to tackling social mobility.
"Nursery schools are critical engines of social mobility, narrowing the gap the most for disadvantaged children," she said.
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