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The Early Years Alliance has today (Monday 27 February) launched a new, free Fair Funding campaign toolkit which includes a series of helpful resources to help early years providers lobby local politicians about the need for government to significantly increase sector funding. 

The toolkit also contains a range of materials to help providers explain the problems with the so-called ‘free childcare’ offer to parents and carers at their setting. 

The full toolkit contains:  

• A template letter for providers to use to raise concerns about underfunding to their local MP – plus a separate template for parents and carers for settings to share with families at their setting  
  
    

• A template letter to parents and carers for providers planning on increasing early years fees explaining why they need to do so 
  
    

• A poster for providers to display in their settings encouraging parents and carers to support the fight for fairer funding (with separate versions for group settings and childminders) 
  
    

• A simple guide to the problems with the so-called ‘free childcare’ offer for settings to share with parents and carers 
  
    

• A mini-guide on schools forums and the role they play in shaping local funding decisions 
  
    

• An early years funding factsheet for providers to use when lobbying local MPs and other local representatives 
  
    

• A press release template to help providers raise awareness of funding issues in their local press and media 

In addition, on the Alliance website, there is: 

• An  which allows providers, parents and carers and MPs to select their constituency and see how their local funding rates, as well as the number of providers, have changed over recent years  
  
    

• An  on early years underfunding for settings to share with parents and carers 
  
    

• A  where providers can share their contact details so that they can be put in touch with other providers in the same local area to coordinate local campaigning 
  
    

• An  aimed at parents and carers 

The toolkit, and additional supportive materials, can be accessed on the Alliance website here:   

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said:   

“Early years providers are facing their most challenging time in decades. Not only are prices soaring but years of underfunding are placing unbearable financial pressure on settings across the country.   

“While there is an increasing awareness among families, politicians and the public of both the challenges facing the sector, and the fact that these issues are a direct result of the government knowingly underfunding the sector for years. We know that awareness alone is not enough.  

“As such, we hope that these free resources will encourage settings to work together to put as much pressure on the government as possible to turn that awareness into vital action and, in turn, ensure that every single early years provider gets the funding they both need and deserve."