The longstanding battle for more funding between the early years sector and the Government has ramped up in the wake of revelations from an Early Years Alliance investigation.
Private official documents obtained by the alliance, after a two-year Freedom of Information dispute, reveal that ministers at the Department for Education were aware in 2015 that it was severely underfunding providers of funded childcare places for three- and four-year-olds.
Documents obtained by the alliance show that early years funding rates for 2020/21 were less than two-thirds of what officials estimated to be the true cost of ‘fully funding’ the scheme.
On the same day (15 June), data published by Ofsted showed that more than 2,500 childcare providers have closed this year.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here