The petition calling for an independent review of childcare funding and affordability has received more than 110,00 signatures.
The Government responded to the petition on 23 June, stating, ‘We are not currently planning a review of early years funding, but we continue to evaluate the support on offer and endeavour to provide support to both parents and providers to ensure the sustainability of the sector.’
However, it will be debated in Parliament, but no date has been set yet.
Meanwhile, the Petitions Committee – a cross-party group of MPs appointed by the House of Commons that considers e-petitions and public petitions - has said it will be looking into this issue further and has launched a new survey of parents and providers on how the pandemic has affected the cost and provision of childcare.
MPs on the Petitions Committee want to know what's changed for new parents one year on from their report into the impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave, published last July.
The committee is also considering how the pandemic has affected the cost and provision of childcare.
The committee would like to hear from:
- New parents who are on, are about to, or have taken maternity, parental or adoptive leave in the last 12 months
- Parents who use, or have attempted to use, informal and formal childcare over the last 12 months
- Childcare providers
Purnima Tanuku , chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said, ‘This disappointing response yet again shows a Government failure to recognise the huge pressure the sector has been under during the pandemic and the strength of feeling from parents and providers alike.
‘We have provided a groundswell of research and evidence along with other organisations and Government committees, but the Government still refuses to engage with these problems.
‘This week the chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for early years and childcare wrote to the Government to highlight the sector’s concerns and again calling for a review of the early years funding system.
‘It is positive news that the Petitions Committee will be looking into this issue further and has commissioned a survey of parents and providers. We will be encouraging our members to take part and hope for a constructive debate of this issue shortly in Parliament.’
Commenting, Neil Leitch, Early Years Alliance chief executive, said, ‘It beggars belief that at a time when hundreds of nurseries, pre-schools and childminders are closing every month, the Government is refusing to commit to even conducting a review of early years funding.
‘Only last week, we released private Government documents which prove that the Government has not only been knowingly underfunding the sector for years, but that they knew this would increase prices for parents and put quality at risk. Any claims, therefore, about "unprecedented investment into the early years" can only be seen as wholly disingenuous.
‘Years of underfunding has left this country with one of the most expensive childcare systems in the world, locking many parents - and particularly, mothers - out of work, and resulting in an early years workforce that is overworked, underpaid and undervalued.
‘The dismissal of this petition is incredibly short-sighted and shows a total disregard for our vital sector. Given the strength of feeling on this issue, not only from providers but increasingly from parents as well, we urge the Government to urgently reconsider this indefensible stance.’
- The Petitions Committee survey is available here
- The deadline for responses is 12 noon on Monday 28 June. Responses will be shared with the committee to help inform their work on this issue and will be anonymous.
- A summary of the committee's report on the impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave is available here