Alliance comments on announcement to "bring forward" childcare reforms in Mini-Budget
The Early Years Alliance has issued a comment in response to today's Mini-Budget, in which the Chancellor said the government will bring forward reforms to improve access to affordable, flexible childcare and confirmed the reversal of the National Insurance Uplift.
鈥淕iven that the responses to the recent consultation on ratios are apparently still being reviewed, it is incredibly concerning that the government is already suggesting that it will go ahead with its relaxation plans.
鈥淭he government has sold this policy as a remedy to the cost-of-living crisis, when in reality, it will do absolutely nothing to cut costs for parents. Instead, this ridiculous plan risks compromising the quality of education and care that children receive at a time when they need more individual care and attention than ever, not to mention putting their basic safety and wellbeing in jeopardy.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 more, it will heap even more pressure on the early years workforce, driving even more highly-skilled educators away from the sector, at a time when the early years is already struggling with the worst recruitment and retention crisis in recent history.
鈥淟et鈥檚 be clear: deregulation is the worst possible step the government could take at the worst possible time for the early years sector. We know 鈥 and the government knows - that the only way to address rising costs is to properly fund the sector, but instead ministers see fit to waste time on a policy that doesn鈥檛 benefit anyone except the politicians who can claim to be 鈥榯ackling rising childcare costs鈥.
"We urge the government to rethink this foolish direction of travel before the impact on our vital sector becomes not only catastrophic, but irreversible."
Commenting on the announcement that the National Insurance uplift will be reversed, Neil said:
鈥淲hile the reversal of the National Insurance uplift may offer some comfort to providers, it does not go far enough to address the severe challenges the sector is facing.
鈥淲e know that settings spend the majority of their income on staff wages so there鈥檚 no doubt today's announcement will offer providers some breathing space while ensuring that educator鈥檚 salaries are not affected.
鈥淭hat said, not only is the sector being pushed to the brink due to years of underfunding, it is also in the midst of a severe recruitment and retention crisis and facing rising inflation and energy costs.
鈥淔or these challenges to be properly be addressed, the sector must be realistically funded throughout the cost-of-living crisis and beyond."
鈥淚t is clear that short-term remedies will not solve the plethora of long-term issues the sector is grappling with.鈥