Third of councils lack free childcare places

Under a government scheme, launched by Deputy Prime Minster Nick Clegg in September, parents of England’s 130,000 most disadvantaged two-year-olds are able to claim 15 hours of free childcare from a local provider.

But data collected through a Freedom of Information (FoI) request by the Labour party reveals that only 66 per cent of councils have “definitely” secured sufficient places for every eligible two-year-old in their area this year, while the remainder have been unable to.

The FoI data also reveals that 16 per cent of local authorities said they do not expect to have enough places for every two-year-old who will be eligible for the scheme from September 2014, when the number will double to 260,000. A further 14 per cent were unsure.

Last week childcare minister Elizabeth Truss revealed that free childcare places were taken up for just 92,000 children one month after the scheme's launch, leaving 38,000 places unclaimed.

Denise Burke, director of United for All Ages and Good Care Guide, believes that
there are enough nursery places available generally, but not in the areas eligible families live.

She said: “Local authorities clearly know what their demand is – or they should do – and they’ve really got to work with providers in their areas to see if there is any way to provide additional places.

“It’s also about working more closely with childminders to see if they can offer the places.

“Parents are only looking to take up the 15 hours, they don’t want the additional hours. I think it’s going to be an uphill struggle for local authorities to persuade these providers to provide these places where they are really needed most unless we look at the funding – it’s not financially viable for most providers to just provide the two-year-old places.”

Liz Bayram, chief executive of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years, said the figures are concerning.

She said: “We also know that many good childminders are struggling to access funding for free entitlement.

“This clearly points to the fact that there needs to be more effective working partnerships between local authorities and childcare professionals.

“This is essential to ensure families have access to broader options for their childcare and that quality of provision remains high.”

Shadow childcare minister Lucy Powell said the figures reveal a childcare crisis.

She said: “Parents face a childcare crunch of David Cameron’s making. This cost of living crisis is made worse by the fact that families were promised free childcare but they are finding they don’t have a place.”