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Please find below a comment from the Early Years Alliance following the publication of a report by the London Assembly's Economy Committee on early education and childcare in London, which can be read

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

“The London Assembly’s Economy Committee is absolutely right to highlight the severe impact that years of underfunding is having on providers and families alike. 

“As the report makes clear, not only have settings been faced with years of underfunding – which in an increasing number of cases leaves many with no option but to pass costs on to parents – but also the high cost of living in London, which only exacerbates the pressures they are facing even further. 

“What’s more, with the expansion of the funded entitlement offer just a matter of months away, longstanding staffing challenges are likely to make it more difficult for settings to increase capacity to match demand with – as our own research shows – some being left with no choice but to opt out of the new scheme completely. 

“Of course, while it’s clear that the capital is on the brink of a childcare and early years crisis, we must not forget that providers across the remainder of the country are also grappling with the very same issues, resulting in more than 3,000 settings closing in the last year alone. 

“As such, while we agree that the funding rate in London must be increased to match the reality of delivering high-quality early years places, the same action must also be taken for the remainder of the country if there is any chance of settings being able to sustainably deliver both existing and upcoming early entitlement hours.”