Labour to prioritise reforming ‘broken childcare system’

She said that the current model “fails everyone, denying parents the ability to work the jobs they’d like, to give their children the opportunities they’d like and is not of the quality that staff want to provide”.

This needs to be a complete overhaul of the system as “tweaking the system we have will not deliver the ambition or scale of reform we are going to need”.

• Schools to extend reach through more places for two-year-olds

• Benefits of expanding childcare provision

“Labour’s missions must be central to breaking down the barriers to opportunity in this country,” she added, in a speech this week to the centre-right think tank Onward.

Rising cost for families of early years places is a driver for Phillipson’s policy announcement.

According to Labour Party analysis of Department for Education figures, the average cost of an hour of childcare for a two-year-old is now 14 per cent higher than in 2018, a year after the government launched its free 30 hours of early years entitlement for working parents.

“It means that the cost of funding 30 hours of childcare for under-twos now costs parents £800 more since the Conservative introduced its system of free childcare hours, in 2017, said Labour.

Another factor is a lack of funding for settings to provide free hours, with many forced to close.

Labour found that a fifth of providers - 15,000 - have ceased trading since free hours were introduced and 5,000 have closed this year.

It said there are now more than two children for every childcare place in England.

Reforming childcare will be my first priority.

To deliver Labour's Mission to break down barriers to opportunity at every stage, for every child.

The Tories' broken hours system is failing parents, providers and our children.

We will reform childcare so it works for families. pic.twitter.com/Bs4CEFxn7f

— Bridget Phillipson (@bphillipsonMP) March 9, 2023

Meanwhile, further evidence has emerged this week raising concerns over the current childcare system. A report by think tank the Centre for Progressive Policy said that a shortage of affordable childcare in England is costing the UK economy as much as £27bn a year in lost earnings and stifling routes to work.

Meanwhile, just half of England council areas have sufficient childcare for children under two, down on the previous year, according to Coram Family and Childcare’s annual childcare survey. This research also found that in England families pay £150.89 a week for an under two-year-old early years place, while in Scotland the figure is £118.14.

Labour’s commitment to overhauling early years has been welcomed by National Children’s Bureau director Anna Feuchtwang.

“Childcare and early education play a central role in closing the gap between children from poorer backgrounds and their peers, and we would see this as a key success measure of any future reforms,” she said.

“Alongside ensuring affordable choices for parents, central government must set the standards it expects for every child to thrive and, crucially, fund this appropriately.

“We are ready to work with all political parties to develop a new vision of high-quality, affordable childcare that gives every child the best start in life.”

Last year Labour pledged to offer breakfast clubs for every primary school pupil in England and allow more councils to open maintained nurseries.