Children's Minister Sarah Teather said, ‘I’m pleased to announce today that the Government will be going ahead with extending free childcare to 15 hours a week for three and four year olds. I am also asking Children’s Centres to make sure they are doing all they can to encourage disadvantaged families to take up this free childcare offer.
‘In a fair society, good quality early years provision should be available to every child, regardless of their family's income or background. I want to make it easier for families to access the support they need, that's why we will continue to fund early learning and childcare for over 20,000 of the most disadvantaged two year olds. We will be looking at how this could be extended, as resources allow, to help support families who will benefit from it the most.
‘Parents should be able to choose when and how they use their free childcare to help fit in with their daily lives. We will be working closely with local authorities and nursery providers to help them promote greater choice for families.’
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