Ď㽶ĘÓƵapp

By Shannon Pite

The government has insisted that families hoping to access funded places when the extended scheme for eligible two-year-olds rolls out in April will be able to do so, despite widespread concerns about the viability of the offer.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday in response to an Urgent Question on the new scheme tabled by shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson, children and families minister David Johnston said that the government was “confident” that it would “deliver the roll-out as planned”.

In response to questions on whether or not there would be enough places to meet demand under the extend offer, the minister said: “We are in monthly contact with local authorities to ensure that they have sufficient places, and only a very small number are reporting any concerns at this point”.

Mr Johnston also dismissed concerns about delays in final funding rates being confirmed, saying: Given that local authorities have to pass on 95% of the money that we give them, providers have a pretty good idea of what they will receive. However, while the vast majority of authorities will confirm their rates in the coming weeks, a small number leave it until 31 March. We are encouraging them not to do that, and to confirm their rates as early as possible in the same way as the others.”

He later responded to a call to “name and shame” the Ď㽶ĘÓƵapp who are slow at publishing their rates by saying: “I reserve the right to do that, but we hope that if we ring them up first and ask them to publish—with the threat of doing that if they do not—they will do so.”

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said:

“The government continues to reassure parents that all children who are eligible for the new funded early years offers will be able to access places - but the harsh reality is that, for many families, this simply won’t be the case.

“Despite the fact there is just over two months until the scheme rolls out, many nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across the country still have no idea what funding rate they will receive from April, making it impossible to plan and - in some cases, commit to opting into the new offers at all.

“Add to this the fact that many providers are still battling the impact of years of underfunding, and that we are in midst of the worst recruitment and retention crisis in recent history, and there is no doubt that our sector is in crisis – and to argue otherwise suggests that the government is in total denial over the scale of the challenge it is facing.

“Pretending that all is fine isn’t going to solve this problem. It’s time for government to face reality and take the urgent steps needed to address the early years crisis once and for all.