The United Kingdom is set to open applications for the second phase of its monumental expansion of free childcare in England. This expansion marks a historic stride in England’s early childhood education landscape, allowing parents of nine-month-old children to access free early childhood education, as announced by the UK Government.
Beginning May 12, eligible working parents will have the opportunity to register for 15 hours of government-funded early childhood education and care (ECEC) per week for their children aged nine months and above. The implementation of this initiative is slated to commence from September 2024.
This move, closely observed by policymakers globally, is anticipated to provide substantial relief to “hundreds of thousands of parents” grappling with the costs of early childhood education. It is estimated that parents utilizing the full 30 hours of care from September 2025 could save nearly £7,000 (approximately AUD$13,500) annually.
Central to the success of this measure will be the involvement of childminders, akin to Australia’s Family Day Care (FDC) educators. Recognizing their significance, the UK Government underscores the importance of increasing the number of childminders and offering more flexible childcare options to parents.
In a statement, the UK Government expressed its commitment to gathering feedback through a new consultation involving childminders, parents, providers, and local authorities. This consultation aims to explore avenues for further supporting and retaining childminders in the profession.
The initial phase of the expansion, providing 15 hours of free care to working parents of two-year-old children, commenced in April, benefiting over 150,000 children. Emphasizing that this is just the beginning, the Government projects savings of over £500 million (approximately AUD$970 million) in early childhood costs.
To facilitate the rollout, various initiatives have been introduced to bolster the workforce in the sector, including a national recruitment campaign. While places will be available in every region for September, a notable portion of settings maintain waiting lists exceeding six months. Hence, parents are urged to take proactive steps to secure their spots for September if they have preferred providers.
Parents can assess their eligibility and access further information about the application process through childcarechoices.gov.uk and the Education Hub, respectively.
