More than half a million children are now getting free childcare under a Government scheme that saves families up to £7,500 a year. Official figures show 530,000 children are benefitting from 30 hours a week of free childcare – beating the original target of 500,000 set when the expansion began at the start of September.
The offer is designed to ease the cost-of-living crisis by reducing nursery bills, which often swallow a second income, while also helping parents get back to work. Take-up has been strong across the country, with almost 92,000 children covered in the South East and 78,000 in the North West.
At the same time, schools are stepping in to boost capacity, with more than 5,000 new nursery places created on school sites this month – well above the forecast of 4,000. Parents are being told that a further 7,000 places could be added next year, backed by £45 million of Government funding.
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Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “When we launched the 30 hours childcare expansion at the start of September, we said around half a million families were on track to benefit. Today’s figures show we have gone even further.
“It is fantastic to see our Plan for Change delivering for families – helping them save up to £7,500 a year per child on childcare costs and supporting parents to balance work and home life. This is real cost-of-living relief that families can feel in their pockets today.”
The Department for Education said funding for early years entitlements will rise to more than £9 billion next year as part of a wider push to support parents, particularly mothers, to stay in work. The rollout is also part of the “Best Start in Life” strategy, which promises to rebuild early years services with £1.5 billion, recruit more teachers, and open family hubs across the country.
Ministers argue the reforms will mean more children are ready for school at five, while giving hard-pressed families financial breathing space.
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