Alliance responds to DfE provider survey showing most providers have not increased places ahead of the expansion

Please find a comment below from leading early years membership organisation the Early Years Alliance following the release of the Department for Education's Pulse Survey of Childcare and Early Years 新澳门六合彩官网开奖, which can be accessed 

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

"The government repeatedly claims that the early entitlement expansion is on track, but as today鈥檚 survey findings demonstrate, this couldn鈥檛 be further from the truth.   

鈥淭he fact that most providers have not increased the number of places they offer- on the same day that government figures show that around 85,000 additional places are needed by September 2025 鈥 should set alarm bells ringing across government. 

鈥淥n top of this, the survey highlights that much of the fundamental challenges facing the sector remain unaddressed, with the sector's staffing crises failing to show any signs of improving at a time when the need for high quality educators has never been greater. 

鈥淣ow, with less than five months to go until the next phase of the expansion 鈥 which will place even more pressure on providers, it鈥檚 clear that any hope of the expansion's success hinges on whether the government takes significant steps to support the sector not just be able to meet demand for places but to do so sustainably.鈥