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Please find a comment below from the Early Years Alliance following the publication of research from Victoria University's Mitchell Institute. The , which analysed centre-based childcare and nursery data internationally, found that England ranks eight out of the nine countries surveyed in terms of accessibility to childcare places. 

"Today’s research from Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute is extremely concerning, and yet entirely unsurprising. 

"We know that access to quality early years provision has a proven positive impact on a child’s life chances – and yet, almost a third of the English population live in a so-called 'childcare desert', with England ranking as one of the worst countries in Europe in terms of accessibility. Worse still, it's those children from more disadvantaged backgrounds, who we know benefit the most from access to early education, who are most likely to struggle to find a place. 

"At a time when more children than ever are eligible for early entitlement hours, it has never been more important to ensure that there are enough early years places to meet demand. But as today's findings show, this couldn't be further from reality – a direct consequence of the sustained lack of support given to the sector over recent years. 

"Let’s be clear, the only way that every child – regardless of where they live – will be able to easily access high-quality early education is if the sector is properly supported to increase capacity. This means long-term funding that reflects the true cost of delivering places, and a staffing strategy that addresses both recruitment and retention. Anything less, and those set to gain the most from early education will continue to lose out. "