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The Early Years Alliance has issued a comment in response to research from campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed which reported that fees for 83% of parents have either increased or will increase in the next two months. 

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

“It's unbelievable and unacceptable that parents are facing astronomically high fees, yet rather than tackle the issue head-on by properly funding the sector the government has instead put forward regulation changes that will only make the issue worse. 

“We know that children must have the opportunity to access high-quality care and education, regardless of their background or their family’s income. But when educators are faced with years of underfunding and rocketing costs, they are left with no choice but to increase their fees just to stay afloat. 

“As such, last month’s Autumn Statement was an ideal opportunity for the government to announce support for the sector at such a critical time, yet instead they opted to push settings even further to the brink by rising the national living wage.  

“Let’s be clear, if the government values the sector at all, it must commit to properly funding the sector if it is going to survive the next few months.”