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The Early Years Alliance has issued a comment in response to a new report Tackling Disadvantage Through Childcare, by Coram Family and Childcare, in partnership with Joseph Rowntree Foundation which states that the government’s planned £4bn investment in the early years, announced in the Budget, will disproportionately benefit higher income families.

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

“We know that quality early years provision has a particularly positive impact on the early learning and development of children from more disadvantaged backgrounds. As such, today's report from Coram and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation is deeply concerning, and once again shows that, at its core, England's early years system is fundamentally broken."

“Not only are provider numbers plummeting at an alarming rate but, as the report shows, children from disadvantaged backgrounds,- those that will benefit the most from early education and care - continue to find it extremely challenging to access. Put simply, it is completely unacceptable. 

“Families from disadvantaged backgrounds should be at the heart of any early years policies but for years they have been pushed to the sidelines and, as the research shows ,this oversight is having and will continue to have serious repercussions on their development, unless proper action is taken.

“Now, when the government is looking at how it will implement the 30-hour-offer expansion, it is essential that it communicates, listens and funds the sector to ensure that, at the very least, the capacity is there to ensure that every child, no matter their background can access and benefit from early education.”