Parents and carers of children aged nine months or over will be entitled to 15 hours of free childcare a week from Monday, the government has confirmed.
The plans to extend free childcare provision were announced by the then Conservative government back in 2023, with the first stage – 15 hours of childcare for two-year-olds each week – being rolled out in April this year.
A further expansion, which will see all children aged nine months to five years eligible for 30 hours of free childcare a week, is set to come into force in September 2025.
Tory ministers had questioned whether Labour would keep its plans in place, but the now Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson made the commitment earlier this year.
And speaking ahead of the rollout, she said: “I’ve already said that early years is my number one priority. That’s why we are delivering the childcare rollout I know will be such a help to hard-pressed parents.”
However, concerns have continued to be raised about the capacity of the sector to absorb the uptick in childcare places – with an extra 85,000 places needed by next year to complete the rollout.
Children playing at the Playday Nursery in Caversham. Pic: Sky News
Chief executive officer of the Early Years Alliance Neil Leitch said the places weren’t “free” as providers were having to subsidise the shortfall.
“They’re having to charge for extras, for lunches that they wouldn’t normally charge for in terms of fees,” he told Sky News’ Alice Porter.
“They’re having to charge for outings, they’re having to charge for nappies, they are…
