Early years leaders criticise 'offensive' government blog on funded childcare expansion

He is concerned that the Department for Education statement around the expansion suggests that settings currently charge “inflated fees” to parents and that the government is “properly covering the cost” of providing free places.

“By making sure the government is properly covering the cost of providing the free places, there will be no need for nurseries to charge inflated fees for additional hours parents want to pay for,” claims the DfE’s blog.

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But Leitch said: “The suggestion that early years settings charge ‘inflated fees’ is a gross insult to providers who have done their very best to keep fees as low as they can in the face of years of government underfunding.  

"What’s more, the claim that the government is now ‘properly covering the costs’ of early years provision – aside from being an implicit admission that this wasn’t previously the case – is simply not true.”

He cites research by academic body the Women’s Budget Group which finds that, despite increases in early years investment by the government, “there is still a significant gap between funding rates and the cost of delivering places, particularly for three- and four-year-olds”.

“The government needs the sector on side if it is to have any chance of fulfilling the huge promise it has made to families. Publishing such offensive and misleading information is likely to achieve the exact opposite,” added Leitch. 

National Day Nurseries Association director of policy Jonathan Broadbery is also concerned about the government blog's claims around fees.

He said: “The government needs to be very careful and clear about how it communicates about the funded childcare offer to parents.

"The funding has only ever been for the hours of childcare, not covering meals, snacks, consumables and other additional services. When you add in chronic underfunding of the hours it has never been free for childcare providers or parents."

He warned ministers against creating "unrealistic expectations because it makes a good soundbite", adding that previous government communications have made it clear that parents may be asked for additional fees.  

From April next year working parents of two-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of funded childcare per week and from September this is to be extended to cover nine-month to three-year-olds.

Further expansion takes place in 2025 when working parents of nine-month to three years olds will be able to access 30 funded hours a week.

Councils will receive a share of £289m from January next year, which the government says will see finding rates increase from an average of £5.29 to £5.62 for three and four years olds and from an average of £6 to £7.95 for two-year olds.