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The Early Years Alliance has issued a comment in response to Coram's annual Childcare Costs .

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

“We know, and the government knows, that England’s early years system is fundamentally broken.  Years of underfunding has forced providers to raise fees, limit hours, and cut places or risk going out of business. Meanwhile, rising costs have left many parents – and particularly mothers – with no choice but to sacrifice their careers, while putting children at risk of losing out on vital learning and development opportunities – and all because funding for the so-called ‘free childcare’ offers has failed to keep up with rising costs.  

“How many more families will be priced out of the early years system before the government admits there is a problem? How many more providers will be forced to permanently close for ministers to accept that the only way to improve the affordability and availability of early education and care is to fund the sector properly? 

“The situation facing families and providers is nothing short of a disaster. It is absolutely vital, therefore, that the government commits to fully-funding the early years in the upcoming budget –  anything less it risks the complete collapse of the sector.”