Campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, which carried out the research, said it has been ‘inundated with messages from frantic parents who don’t understand the system, or expect to receive their code for a funded two-year-old place in time to take up a place.’
Eligible parents have been able to apply for a code for a funded two-year-old place since 1 January for a 1 April start.
Some parents told the campaign group that they have repeatedly tried to access their code via the Government’s Childcare Service account, but the website has sent them in an ‘endless loop’. Others claim they have been ‘sent on a wild goose chase’ with incorrect advice from the Childcare helpline.
'I can't express my frustration at the usability of this system.'
Danielle, a mum from Norwich, explains, ‘The first time I called, I was on hold for four hours, only to be hung up on. I called the following day and waited another 3 hours. I can’t express my frustration at the usability of this system - people who work, who have young kids and need childcare don’t have that sort of time.’
Pregnant Then Screwed’s survey of 6,058 parents who are eligible for the new funding for two-year-olds finds:
- Just 11 per cent of parents have been able to access their code to pass to their childcare provider for a funded place.
- 25 per cent say their provider has given them a deadline to be able to use the code, for half of these parents, the deadline is before they will receive their code.
- Only 55 per cent of parents have found a childcare setting that will accept their code.
- For over a third of parents, their provider is currently unable to confirm whether they will accept the codes, likely due to providers not having the necessary information from their local authority, says the campaign group.
The survey highlights how parents using Tax-Free Childcare, which is on the same system that parents use to access their funded place, are not able to apply for a code for their two-year-old funded place until their ‘reconfirmation’ windows open. However, many say this won’t happen until late March, just days before the scheme is due to be rolled out. A small number say their reconfirmation window opens in April, which is after the scheme starts.
For 69 per cent of parents, their reconfirmation window isn’t open yet.
A quarter of parents say their provider has given them a deadline to provide their code, and of those, half say their deadline is before their reconfirmation window opens.
According to Pregnant Then Screwed, the Department for Education has said there should not be any deadlines before 31 March.
The survey also found that some settings have decided they will no longer offer funded three and four-year-old places due to continued underfunding.
'It adds insult to injury that there is funding we're entitled to yet can't utilise.'
Georgina, a mother of three from Northamptonshire comments, 'On the 2 Jan, my nursery dropped the bombshell that they "cannot afford to continually take a hit on the deficit between our daily rate and what we are receiving from the Government – even with charging parents a consumable (top up).” They are opting out of the 15/30 hour Government funding from April. This means by May, my monthly outgoings on childcare alone will be close to £2,000 a month. I just do not know how or if we can afford this and it adds insult to injury that there is funding we’re entitled to yet can’t utilise due to not enough provision in the area we live.’
'We've become a childcare helpline for the Government overnight.'
Joeli Brearley, chief executive and founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said, ’We have been inundated with messages from frantic parents who don’t understand the system, or expect to recieve their code too late. Meanwhile, many providers haven’t been given the information they need from their local authority to decipher what their income will be from April onwards. Parents can’t access their codes, providers can’t do their financial forecasting – it’s bedlam
‘Parents struggling to understand the system or trying to secure their code are told to call the childcare services helpline, but parents we have spoken to complain of being on call waiting for very long periods, with many saying the line then cuts out. Our benefit helpline isn’t able to keep up with demand, and we’re being flooded with messages. We’ve become a childcare helpline for the Government overnight.’
The Department for Education said there was no fault with the system and that it would share more information to alleviate concerns for parents reconfirming in March shortly.
A spokesperson said, 'The childcare application system is working as intended, with thousands of parents applying for and receiving codes to access their new free childcare entitlements every day.
- Are you an early years provider who has withdrawn or is considering withdrawing funded places altogether? If so, email us: news.nw@markallengroup.com