£50m boost for childcare is welcomed '“ but concerns raised over '˜capacity issue'

The money from the Department of Education will fund capital grants in order to help nurseries, pre-schools and playgroups invest in new buildings and upgrade facilities.

The funding has been agreed as part of a programme to make sure there are sufficient childcare places for the new 30 hours free childcare offer, which begins in September.

Five childcare settings across the Bradford district are set to benefit from the scheme, with the money being used to create an additional 200 spaces, as well as help fund refurbishments at two nurseries.

Valerie Hogg, manager of Nightingales, the Airedale NHS Foundation Trust’s day nursery, in Keighley, said: “Without the capital early years 
funding to extend our provision we would not have been able to offer 30 hour places without it having a detrimental effect on how many places we would be able to offer to younger children.”

The owner of Acorns, in Eldwick, Gillian Simpson-Morris, added: “Not only is the capital funding enabling us to provide a spectacular new space for our three and four-year-olds, but it has also guaranteed parents their 30 hour place.”

A further £5m is to go to organisations helping children from disadvantaged backgrounds, or with additional needs, to access early education.

Minister for the Early Years Caroline Dinenage said: “This investment will deliver more childcare places to working parents, giving them the benefits of 30 hours free childcare while giving their children high-quality early education.”

However, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, expressed concern about Government progress in achieving its ambition to provide working families with 30 hours of free childcare.

He said: “While extra funding to support the 30-hour offer is of course welcome, a further 9,000 childcare places for a scheme that Government says requires 390,000 in total – and we estimate requires 500,000 – simply isn’t going to address the very valid concerns that have been raised about the viability of the scheme.

“With less than half of childcare providers currently committed to delivering 30-hours places, and many of those opting into the scheme considering limiting the number of places they deliver, we know that capacity is going to be a real issue when the offer rolls out in September – and the fact that this additional money has now been found suggests the Government does too.”

Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner said: “The Tories’ inability to properly plan for their childcare promise has led to chaos and confusion. The constant re-announcements of a few more places here and there make it clear that they still don’t have a clue how to deliver on this key election commitment.”

City exceeds places target

York Council has announced that it has exceeded its government target and has seen nearly 2,000 children get free care. The city has been piloting the Government’s new 30 hours free childcare policy since last September. The authority has now revealed that in spring term 2017 a total of 1,930 children have taken up their entitlement – 900 more than the target set by the Department for Education.

Councillor Stuart Rawlings, executive member for education, said: “Parents have told me that they’ve been able to start work again, increase their working hours or even start up their own business because of the extra 30 hours childcare.”