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The Early Years Alliance has issued a comment in response to a survey from the New Statesman survey showing that the cost of early years places is forcing mothers out of work. The article can be read . 

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

“This research is yet further proof that the government’s approach to the early years in this country is not fit for purpose.   

“For years, early years funding has failed to keep up with the soaring cost of delivering places, leaving many providers with no choice but to increase fees to stay afloat.  

“This has left many parents not only struggling to meet the cost of early years places, but as this survey has shown, forced to make sacrifices in their careers as well. And of course, such a short-sighted approach to early years policy in this country not only impacts parents’ ability to work but, crucially, risks more and more children missing out on vital early education opportunities and experiences.   

"Our research has shown that for an overwhelming majority of providers, the funding they receive for so-called ‘free childcare’ places is far less than the cost of delivering them – and with even those setting that received funding increases this year warning that this won’t be enough to cover rising costs, things are clearly going to get a lot worse before they get better.  

“Time and time again, we have called for a funding system that works – and yet instead the government is wasting its time debating changes to ratios that will do absolutely nothing to address the rising cost of care and early education in this country.  

“If the government really wants to deliver the services needed to support parents – and particularly mothers – to remain in work, and ensure that all children have access to a high-quality early education, it needs to invest what’s needed in the sector that can deliver both. How bad do things need to get before the government finally decides to act?”