Chair of the All-Party Group for Childcare and Early Education, Steve Brine MP, has highlighted workforce challenges facing the sector during a debate on the Education Department’s plans to roll out 15 hours of funded childcare to 2-year-olds in working families from April 2024.
Mr Brine raised concern that the planned roll-out may face challenges given the ongoing workforce issues. Adding to this Steve gave context from his constituency of Winchester and Chandler's Ford saying : " Today I spoke to a provider that has 42 settings and is not able to fully staff a single one of them."
The Minister, David Johnston MP, agreed that the UK needs more people in the early years sector, particularly for the September 2025 roll-out. He continued : "That is what the recruitment campaign and the changes we made to the early years foundation stage are all about. We listened to providers on the flexibilities that might make their lives easier and delivered almost everything they asked for, in the hope that it will help them with recruitment and retention."
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