The Department for Education’s Childcare Free Entitlement: Delivery Model consultation includes proposals to extend the period across which parents can use their free childcare entitlement from the current 7am to 7pm to 6am to 8pm.
The short survey asks if nursery providers plan to deliver the 30 hours of free childcare and extend opening times, and if so, what impact this will have on how they run their setting.
Childcare organisations have warned that extending the hours that the free entitlement can be used at the start and the end of the day will increase parents’ expectations that nurseries should stay open longer.
Early years groups have already raised concerns that children’s welfare could suffer if parents use the extended free entitlement to put children in nursery for up to 14 hours a day.
In addition, nursery providers have said extending opening times to accommodate the additional free hours will significantly increase running costs, which at the rates currently funded under the free entitlement may prove uneconomical.
The survey will take only take a few minutes to complete and the results will help shape CYP Now’s coverage of the government’s childcare reforms and consultation.
To take part click here or go to www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/J2PPHZR
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