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

“We at the Alliance have long called for the government to do more to promote careers in the early years, and so there is no doubt that launch of this new recruitment campaign is a positive – though very overdue – step.   

"We know that, despite its challenges, working in the early years is one of the best possible careers to have, and so we hope that this campaign will help raise awareness of the fantastic job early educators do day-in and day-out to both potential new educators and the wider public. 

“That said, given that we are now less than two months away from the first phase of early entitlement expansion, we’re clear that any suggestion that this campaign alone will be enough to drive up educator numbers in time to meet rising demand is ludicrous, and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding both of the sheer scale of the staffing crisis facing the sector.  

“What’s more, while a £1,000 cash incentive may encourage more people to join the early years in the short term, it does little – if anything at all - to retain both new and existing staff in the long-term. As such, if there is any chance of this campaign having a lasting impact, there must be just as much focus on staff retention, and ensuring that we do not continue to lose knowledgeable, experienced educators at the rate that we have been over recent years.   

“This means the government investing what is needed to allow providers to pay fair wages, establishing clear paths of career progression and, crucially, recognising that those working in the sector deliver not just ‘childcare’ but vital early education.   

“After all, there is little point in attracting more people into the early years if the realities of working in the sector make it impossible to convince them to stay.” 

Commenting on the news that the government is planning to put in place new limits how long local authorities have to confirm early years funding rates, Neil said:

"For far too long, early years providers have faced the prospect of having to wait until the very end of March to find out what funding rate they will be receiving in April, leaving them with no time to budget or prepare for the financial year ahead. We know what a huge strain this has placed on those affected settings, and so we welcome the fact that the government has finally taken action on this issue and is looking to ensure that providers receive their final rates in good time before they come into effect.

"That said, we are very mindful that while much blame has been placed on local authorities for these delays, councils cannot start the work needed to confirm provider funding rates until they themselves receive their own rates from government. There is a risk, therefore, that by simply shortening the window that local authorities have to confirm rates, rather than committing to providing them with their own rates earlier, we will end up in a situation where local authorities don't have enough time to consult with local providers before making a final funding rate decision.

"It is vital, therefore, that government works closely with both providers and local councils in the weeks ahead to ensure that this change is one that can and will actually work in practice."