NEWS

offers for working families. If either parent earns over this threshold, the household is ineligible for any of the 30-hours offers.

The Conservative party has also proposed the removal of the £100,000 limit for the government’s Tax-Free childcare scheme, where the government adds £2 to every £8 eligible parents pay into an online account, up to a maximum £2,000 per year per child (or £4,000 for children with disabilities).

Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, raised concerns about the proposal, commenting: “We believe that high-quality early years provision should be accessible and affordable for every family – and so it is absolutely right to ask whether the current eligibility criteria for the early entitlements is creating unfair barriers to access. We know the £100,000 limit has created challenges for some families, not least because it is based on individual, rather than household, income.

“And yet, given the wealth of research showing that families from disadvantaged backgrounds are much less likely to access early years provision than their wealthier peers – despite the fact that children from these families have the most to gain from quality early education – it is disappointing that this proposal focuses solely on widening access for those on higher salaries, and not those on the other end of the income scale, who are in most need of support.

“Early years provision is more than just childcare, and the policies that underpin it must be about more than getting parents back to work. As such, we continue to urge all policymakers – regardless of political party – to ensure that any proposals to change the current system have the needs of the child at their heart.”

Families raising children with disabilities face “significant barriers” in accessing childcare and early education, particularly around affordability and finding suitable provision, a new report has found.

The Locked out of Childcare report from Family Fund, which looked at both early years provision and school-aged care, has revealed that one in five parents and carers would like access to more paid childcare than they currently receive. More than a third of these families (38%) reported that childcare is too expensive and 29% said available provision does not meet their child’s needs.

The report, which draws on responses from 1,000 parent or carers of disabled children, warns that “without the right provision, families will remain locked out of childcare which seriously limits parent carers’ opportunities for employment and financial security, their ability to get a break from caring and overall family health and wellbeing long term”.

Of those surveyed, more than half (51%) said they would work more hours, look for paid employment, or undertake education or training if additional childcare were available to them.

It also revealed that 43% of parents raising a child with both a physical and learning disability were more likely to report negative wellbeing impacts. Of those surveyed whose childcare provision did not meet their child’s needs, over half (55%) reported negative impacts on their own wellbeing and 37% reported negative impacts on their child’s wellbeing.

cover operational expenses and explore whether additional investment is required to improve the overall quality, accessibility and inclusivity of early education.

The report addresses workforce stability by factoring in an estimated £569 million annual investment for the Real Living Wage, alongside an additional £281 million for employer pension contributions. To improve training opportunities for educators, the formula integrates an estimated £452 million annual investment for professional development, ensuring Level 6 qualified educators are present in each setting, which requires an investment of £54 million per year.

Beyond employee infrastructure, the report outlines the investment required for everyday operations. The necessary annual investment for food provision is calculated at £1.278 billion. To ensure inclusive practice, the model allocates an annual £138 million to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), alongside a further £45 million for complex needs. It also estimates the need for a £128 million to support children speaking English as an additional language and £534 million to target those living in disadvantaged communities.

In light of its analysis, London Economics estimates that the total hourly cost of provision for under-twos is £12.06, falling to £7.83 for two-year-olds and £6.43 for three- and four-year-olds.