Surprisingly, the Conservatives outbid Labour and promised 30 hours a week free childcare to parents with three- and four-year-old children. This was on top of the childcare tax breaks that take effect this autumn.
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has clearly identified that improving childcare is key to supporting the workforce, increasing productivity and reviving the British economy.
The big question now is how the new government will deliver this childcare pledge for 2017. As things stand, the criteria and logistics of the scheme seem to have little flesh on the bone. There are more questions than answers.
Childcare providers have long been concerned about how they are currently funded to deliver 15 hours a week free childcare. They argue that government has consistently underfunded the hourly cost of providing free childcare.
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