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Nine in 10 councils believe that ongoing early years closures will undermine the volume of places available to accommodate the government’s 30 hours’ early entitlement extension plans, according to research by the Local Government Association. 

Announced in March 2023, the extension of the scheme for eligible working families will increase the proportion of nursery places delivered through government-funded entitlements from approximately 50% to 80%.  

However, councils have warned that funding rates may not be enough to cover the scheme’s universal implementation. 

LGA’s research also found that: 

• Fewer than half (48%) of councils are fully confident of having sufficient childcare provision for children aged two under the current entitlements. 

• 40% of councils saw a spike in nurseries closing in 2022, compared to the year before.  

• Recruitment and retention challenges were greater in disadvantaged communities. 

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

“It is frankly unbelievable that the government wants to expand the 30-hour offer at a time that the sector is facing its most challenging time in decades.  

“We know that settings are already closing at an alarming rate, with �°������ϲʹ������� data released less than a week ago showing that nearly 5,000 settings closed in the last year alone.  

“We have no doubt, therefore, that, in its current form, expanding the so-called ‘free childcare’ offers will only lead to further closures – and that, rather than making it easier for parents to access high-quality early education and care, it will only make it harder.   

“The only way that this expansion won’t result in complete disaster is if the government effectively engages with the sector when determining how the expansion will work in practice and, critically, ensures that the funding provided not only meets the costs of delivering places, but also encourages settings to grow to meet any increased demand.   

“Anything less will not only result in total failure of plans to the extended offers, but also seal the fate for thousands more settings across the country.”