Organised by campaign group Early Years Equality, around 300 people, including nursery owners, childminders, other early years professionals and parents have signed up to attend the event Saturday (24 June) afternoon.
Two of the group’s founding members, Claire Kenyon, owner of The Children’s Garden Nurseries in Stamford and Norwich and Claire Kenyon (no relation), director of Busy Lizzie’s Nursery in Chichester, are leading the protest.
Attendees are urged to wear something red, orange or yellow and bring placards and banners.
Ahead of the event, they are being encouraged to ask the children in their care for their views on playing, writing their answers on ribbons that will be hung on an installation of a tree. Entitled the Rights on Ribbons Tree, the structure will be placed outside Downing Street on the day of the protest.
A spokesperson for Early Years Equality said, ‘The current plans for expansion of “free childcare” does not put children’s needs first and it is not possible for settings to provide the hours with the current funding model. In addition, there are not currently enough qualified and experienced early years professionals available to allow for the additional spaces that will be required. The Government’s plan to address this include reducing the qualifications and ratios needed which will only result in lower quality provision.
‘This is not the answer. It is time for a new narrative that embraces young children’s potential. It is time to put the rights of children at the front of the discussions.’