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Select Committee · Education Committee

Support for childcare and the early years

Status: Closed Opened: 15 Dec 2022 Closed: 23 Nov 2023 24 recommendations 8 conclusions 1 report

The Education Committee has launched an inquiry into support for childcare and the early years. The inquiry will examine how easy to navigate the current childcare system is for parents and carers, and whether current childcare entitlements are providing families with affordable and flexible childcare. The Committee will assess the effectiveness of the different funding … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fifth Report - Support for childcare and the early years HC 969 26 Jul 2023 32 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
12 Recommendation Fifth Report - Support for childcare an… Rejected

Stop describing 30-hours childcare as ‘free’; use ‘funded’ or ‘subsidised’ hours

To improve awareness and improve parental trust in the childcare subsidy system, we recommend the Government stop describing the 30-hours offer as ‘free hours’ and talk about ‘funded’ or ‘subsidised’ hours instead.

Government response AI summary
The government recognises the Committee’s view but will continue to use the term ‘free’ in its communications with the public, alongside ‘funded’ and ‘subsidised’ where appropriate.
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Department for Education
13 Recommendation Fifth Report - Support for childcare an… Rejected

Develop better support for stay-at-home parents, including frontloaded benefits and expanded leave

We recommend the Government develop better support for parents who choose to stay at home with their children. For example, HMRC could explore ways to frontload child benefits to give parents more support in the early years when the economic and social impact of childcare is highest. The Department for … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government supports parents to make the choices that are right for their families, but has no plans to frontload child benefit or expand parental leave allowances.
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Department for Education
21 Recommendation Fifth Report - Support for childcare an… Rejected

Monitor staff:child ratio changes, reverse if quality suffers, and develop comparable staff qualifications.

We recommend that the Government’s controversial changes to staff:child ratios be closely monitored and reversed if quality and education outcomes are seen to suffer. If the Government’s goal is truly to “bring the UK in line with Scotland and comparable countries”, this change should be accompanied by a strong focus … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government has proceeded with changing staff:child ratios from 1:4 to 1:5 for two-year-olds and does not commit to reversing this change if quality suffers, but highlights efforts to improve workforce quality through reviewed Level 3 qualification criteria and a consultation on EYFS flexibilities.
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Department for Education
23 Recommendation Fifth Report - Support for childcare an… Rejected

Reintroduce a Leadership Quality Fund for diverse early years professional qualifications.

The Government has acknowledged the importance of graduate leadership in the ECEC sector. It should now listen to sector-wide calls for an equivalent of the Graduate Leader’s Fund to be reintroduced. We recommend that this is given a broader name, such as the ‘Leadership Quality Fund’, and that it can … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government does not commit to reintroducing a fund equivalent to the Graduate Leader’s Fund, stating it no longer exists. Instead, it highlights existing and alternative support mechanisms for the early years workforce, including increased entitlement funding, a national recruitment campaign, EYITT funding, and the …
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Department for Education
27 Recommendation Fifth Report - Support for childcare an… Rejected

Incentivise early years settings to provide higher pay for staff development and promotions.

Staff development and promotions in Early Years settings should be met with higher pay. We recommend the Government consider how best to incentivise and fund settings to do this, for example by setting standards for staff pay as a condition for receiving funding for the 30-hours entitlement. (Paragraph 155) Special … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states it will continue to explore options for workforce recruitment and retention but has no plans to set staff pay rates for early years settings, anticipating that increased funding for new entitlements will give providers greater opportunity to increase wages.
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Department for Education

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
9 May 2023 Claire Coutinho · Department for Education, Susie Owen · Department for Education View ↗
18 Apr 2023 Adam Hawksbee · Onward, Christine Farquharson · Institute for Fiscal Studies, Dr Tammy Campbell · Education Policy Institute, Iain Mansfield · Policy Exchange, Professor Birgitta Rabe · Institute for Social and Economic Success, Professor Eva Lloyd · International Centre for the Study of the Mixed Economy of Childcare, University of East London View ↗
21 Mar 2023 Jane Harris · Speech and Language UK, Joeli Brearley · Pregnant Then Screwed, Jolanta Lasota · Ambitious about Autism, Mary Mulvey-Oates · Contact, Mrs Anne Fennell · Mothers at Home Matter, Victoria Benson · Gingerbread View ↗
21 Feb 2023 Dr Julian Grenier CBE · Sheringham Nursery School and Children's Centre, East London, Emma Gardner · Early Years and Childcare, Spring by Action for Children, Gemma Rolstone · Puffins Childcare, Devon, Kara Jewell · Sparkle Lodge Early Years, Portsmouth, Professor Celia Greenway · University of Birmingham View ↗
31 Jan 2023 Helen Donohoe · PACEY (Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years), Laura Barbour · The Sutton Trust, Megan Jarvie · Coram Family and Childcare, Neil Leitch OBE · Early Years Alliance View ↗

Who gave evidence

23 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Adam Hawksbee · Deputy Director Onward 1
Christine Farquharson · Associate Director Institute for Fiscal Studies 1
Claire Coutinho · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister … Department for Education 1
Dr Julian Grenier CBE · Head Teacher Sheringham Nursery School and Children's Centre, East London 1
Dr Tammy Campbell · Co-Director for Early Years, Inequalities and Wel… Education Policy Institute 1
Emma Gardner · Quality Manager Early Years and Childcare, Spring by Action for Children 1
Gemma Rolstone · Director of Quality Puffins Childcare, Devon 1
Helen Donohoe · Chief Executive PACEY (Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years) 1
Iain Mansfield · Director of Research and Head of Education and Sc… Policy Exchange 1
Jane Harris · CEO Speech and Language UK 1
Joeli Brearley · Founder and CEO Pregnant Then Screwed 1
Jolanta Lasota · Chief Executive Ambitious about Autism 1
Kara Jewell · Childminder and Nursery Director Sparkle Lodge Early Years, Portsmouth 1
Laura Barbour · Early Years Lead The Sutton Trust 1
Mary Mulvey-Oates · Early Years Project Manager Contact 1
Megan Jarvie · Head Coram Family and Childcare 1
Mrs Anne Fennell · Chair Mothers at Home Matter 1
Neil Leitch OBE · Chief Executive Early Years Alliance 1
Professor Birgitta Rabe · Professor of Economics Institute for Social and Economic Success 1
Professor Celia Greenway · Deputy Pro-vice Chancellor and Professor in Educa… University of Birmingham 1
Professor Eva Lloyd · Director International Centre for the Study of the Mixed Economy of Childcare, University of East London 1
Susie Owen · Director of Early Years, Childcare, Families and … Department for Education 1
Victoria Benson · CEO Gingerbread 1

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
25 Oct 2023 — Correspondence to the Treasury following responses to funding recommendations m…