�°������ϲʹ�������

Commenting on new Department for Education statistics which reveals that 195,345 out of 216,384 30 hours eligibility codes have now been validated, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said:

“While it is of course positive that the number of parents who have been able to validate their eligibility codes has increased, it is concerning that nearly halfway through the term, more than 20,000 parents still haven’t been able to access a 30 hours place.

“Given that childcare providers tend have more spare places available during the autumn term, ensuring that all eligible children are able to access a 30-hours place is only going to get more difficult as the year progresses. 

“We know that, as a result of the continued lack of adequate funding, many childcare providers are still limiting the number of 30 hours places they are willing to offer. If the government is to have any chance of ensuring sufficient capacity as the policy continues to roll out, it simply must invest what is needed into the scheme. There is no other option.”