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Leading membership organisation the Early Years Alliance has said that the rollout of both this and the final stage of the early entitlement expansion remains uncertain without further government support. 

This comes as the second phase of the early entitlement rollout begins in which eligible families of children aged nine months and over will be able to access 15-hours of early education and childcare. 

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

"With early entitlement hours now available for eligible children aged nine months and over, even more families are understandably expecting to make use of the offer. However, at the Alliance, we know that for many the reality is likely to be very different.   

"As our own research shows, settings simply do not have the capacity to meet the likely surge in demand, with 78% of settings struggling to recruit and more than a third actively considering leaving the sector. On top of this, years of underfunding has made it increasingly difficult for providers to deliver enough high-quality early years places using funding alone, prompting many to limit intake, or increase fees for hours falling outside of the expansion just to keep their doors open.   

"Despite now being at the midway point of the expansion, the success of the rollout remains incredibly uncertain. As such, we hope the government is not just listening to the concerns of the sector but puts in place swift and meaningful action to address the historic levels of underfunding and the sector’s severe staffing crisis. And, at the Alliance we look forward to continuing to work with them to make certain that this is not just a policy priority but a reality."