Government Figures Suggest Number of Extra Places Needed to Complete the Childcare Expansion

Government Figures Suggest Number of Extra Places Needed to Complete the Childcare Expansion 

We are a few weeks into the first phase of the expansion of free childcare with eligible parents getting 15 hours a week of free childcare for 2-year-olds. On 19th April, figures released by the Department for Education shed light on the initial level of take up, the number of applications and the challenges that need to be addressed for the expansion to be successful. 

The figures released showed that, as of 19th April, 79% of all eligible families who applied are using the free hours for their two year olds. This means that 195,355 families are using the expanded childcare in some capacity. The DfE say that this figure will continue to increase as more applications are processed over the coming weeks.  

However, the expansion rollout has been criticised by leading voices across the sector. Failure to provide spaces for all eligible children and local authorities not being able to offer the full 30 hours of funded childcare may be causing financial strain on some families. The figures also don’t describe whether the families were able to receive all the hours they need.  

By this September, when the scheme will be expanded to include children from nine months old, the DfE says 15,000 additional childcare places will be needed. And by September 2025, when 30 hours of government-funded childcare will be available to all pre-schoolers of eligible working parents, around 70,000 further places are likely to be needed. 

This highlights some of challenges the sector faces with the expansion. Recruitment incentives and industry consultations are being used to try and tackle some of the issues but we will have to wait until the next until the next phase of the rollout to see if these are having a positive impact.