The petition, which gained more than 500 signatures in 24 hours, states: “Some early years settings, especially in deprived areas, rely on early years funding to pay staff, bills and maintain high standards, and with the increase in minimum wage some of these businesses may struggle to remain open.
“Additional government funding for early years settings should help reduce the pressures on these settings, and we believe is desperately needed.”
The petition comes just a week after Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced his autumn statement, which childcare providers slammed for failing to provide for early years.
The statement included an increase in minimum wage, which the petition warns some providers may struggle to afford the increase in staff wages without additional funding from the government.
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