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The government currently has no clear strategy for the early years sector in England, the CEO of leading early years membership organisation the Early Years Alliance warned during today’s Education Committee oral evidence session on support for childcare and the early years.  

Speaking during the session, Neil said:

“I want a strategy for the early years sector, and we don’t currently have that. We don’t have a ten-year strategy, we don’t have a five-year-strategy – in fact, we don’t have a 12-month strategy.

"If you ask colleagues within the Department for Education … 'What should parents be paying a percentage of their income in five years’ time?”, you will not get an answer. [If you ask] ‘What should we be paying our educators in five years’ time? What should their professional progression be?’, you will not get an answer.

"And that’s because we basically deal with one crisis after one crisis after one crisis – but there is no vision, no strategy, and until you get that, we will just flounder.” 

During the session, Neil pointed out that the sector has seen nearly two dozen education secretaries and ministers with responsibility for the early years over the past decade, resulting in an inconsistent patchwork of early years policies, and suggested that there should be a cabinet minister for the early years, saying: 

“Until you get early years considered to be a fundamental part of the education system, none of this will ever change. We possibly need a cabinet minister specifically for early years. Given this is the point where you shape the life chances of future generations, why wouldn't you want to … focus predominantly on that area?” 

He also described current early years recruitment and retention challenges as a “crisis we’ve never witnessed before”, and highlighted a 2021 Alliance provider survey which found that 35% of respondents were actively considering the sector and that the most common reason for this (cited by 77% of those considering leaving) was feeling undervalued by government. He said: “I think we’ve used up the goodwill of people [working in the sector] frankly.” 

The evidence session is part of the Education Committee’s ongoing inquiry into the early years sector, which is examining the reasons behind the rising cost of childcare and early education, and whether the current systems of government support are effective. During the session, committee chair Robin Walker said that the inquiry had received more than 1,700 written evidence submissions. 

The session took place on the same day as the launch of ‘Shaping us’, a new campaign by the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, spearheaded by The Princess of Wales intended to raise awareness of the importance of the early years.  

Launching the campaign, The Princess said: “By focusing our collective time, energy, and resources to build a supportive, nurturing world around the youngest members of our society and those caring for them, we can make a huge difference to the health and happiness of generations to come.”