Within its 2024 manifesto, the Alliance puts forward a number of recommendations for the next government ahead of the general election, which is expected next year. They include:
- Providing an emergency financial rescue package for early years provider, followed by a wholesale review and overhaul of the current system, with a focus on ensuring adequate funding for the sector.
- Increase the early years pupil premium to match primary funding levels.
- Exempt all early years providers from business rates and paying VAT on purchases.
- Reverse changes to early years ratios.
- Develop a comprehensive recruitment and retention strategy, underpinned by clear and adequately-funded indicative payscales.
- Remove the restriction preventing childminding professionals from providing care and education to related children.
- Ensure adequate and timely funding and support for children with SEND.
- Provide additional funding for the provision of healthy and nutritious meals and snacks in early years settings.
- Provide practical and financial support for baby and toddler groups as part of wider family support initiatives.
On funded places, the Alliance says this should be universal once the sector has the ‘infrastructure to support an expansion’. It goes on to recommend that if funding is not adequate for the expansion of funded places, a means-tested approach, where costs are fully covered for the lowest-income families and subsidised on a sliding scale for those with higher earnings.
The Alliance says it would also support the removal of the early years element of the Tax-Free Childcare system, demand for which continues to fall short of Government projections, and which it argues to be ‘entirely regressive as those families who can afford to save the most money in their Government account are given the greatest levels of support.’
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said, ‘There has never been a more pivotal time for the early years. For far too long, the sector has been used as a political football by all parties, and forced to deal with the fallout of underfunded promises made to families. And with the expansion of the 30-hour offer fast approaching, many providers who are already struggling to keep their heads above water are set to be put under even more pressure going forward.
‘We’re clear that whichever political party is in government after the next election, urgent support – and crucially – investment in the early years underpinned by a comprehensive long-term plan for the sector must form a key part of their priorities.’