Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Accepted
Paragraph: 40
Work with local authorities to identify and increase childcare provision in underserved areas
Recommendation
We recommend Government work closely with local authorities to identify areas where childcare provision is insufficient and with a view to increasing provision in these areas. It could be useful to begin with a focus on Education Investment Areas (EIAs).
Government Response Summary
DfE agrees with the recommendation and is actively working with local authorities through regular contact, a new termly readiness self-assessment tool, and £12 million in delivery support funding to identify and address childcare sufficiency issues, including in Education Investment Areas.
Paragraph Reference:
40
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
DfE agrees with the above recommendation and recognises that working closely with local authorities is essential in understanding the childcare provision for that area. Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006,2 local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. We have regular contact with each local authority in England about childcare sufficiency in their area and any issues they are facing. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, DfE discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and, where needed, support the local authority with any specific requirements through the dedicated childcare sufficiency support contract. The Education Investment Areas (EIAs) focus on local authorities where the educational outcomes of children were the weakest based on sustained low performance across key stage 2 and key stage 4 in 2017 to 2019. As we work closely and continue to do so with all local authorities, the 55 local authorities in scope of the EIAs can access support from our childcare sufficiency support contract if needed. We are not limiting our scope to just those EIAs, as we know that there are other factors outside educational attainment that can impact the ability for local authorities to provide sufficient childcare, such as the local economic landscape as well as recruitment and retention of early years workforce. As we prepare for the expansion of the early years childcare system, through our regular engagement and monitoring of local authorities, we are working to identify what additional support is required. We have recently launched a termly local authority readiness self-assessment tool, which is intended to enable us to work closely with local authorities, to review their progress towards delivery of the expansion to the early years entitlements. These self-assessments will enable DfE to identify where further support is needed, and to work with local authorities to address issues as they emerge. In addition to this, £12 million of local authority delivery support funding is being distributed to support local authorities in 2023–24, as they prepare for the entitlements expansion.