A poll of 1,394 nurseries, pre-schools and childminders by the Pre-School Learning Alliance found that 52 per cent intend to increase or introduce fees for goods and services including food, trips and nappies.
Meanwhile, 49 per cent said they intend to charge parents more for non-funded childcare places to claw back losses from the 30 hours offer, which comes into effect tomorrow (1 September).
A total of 74 per cent of the providers who took part in the online survey said the money the government is providing to cover the cost of the free places is less than the cost of providing those places. On average, the providers reported a shortfall of 18 per cent between the funding of the policy and their costs.
Eve Wort, the former principal of Anchors Nursery School in Hampshire, said the funding gap prompted her setting to close at the end of the summer term. "Our funding was reduced from £4.44 per hour to £4.36 per hour, when our hourly costs are around £6 per hour," she said.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
