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Commenting, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said:

"We warmly welcome the Social Mobility Commission's call for greater support for the early years sector. Research shows that the first five years of a child's life are absolutely critical for their long-term learning and development - and yet, when it comes to education policy in this country, all too often the early years sector is still seen as the poor relation of schools.

"Years of inadequate government investment into the early years has resulted in unacceptably low salaries across the sector, with many practitioners regularly working long hours for little or no additional pay. Is it any surprise, then, that more and more are opting to leave and seek employment  opportunities elsewhere?

"With the huge challenges that the coronavirus pandemic has created for the childcare sector, it's clear that much more government support is needed if providers are going to be able to not just stay afloat, but to continue to recruit and retain quality early years professionals who can deliver quality early years provision as well.

"If the government is truly serious about improving social mobility and children's life chances, there is no better place to start than the early years."