The recommendations are made by experts at Sheffield Hallam University and Save the Children UK who say families with the lowest incomes will see ‘almost no direct benefit’ from the current government plan to expand the 30-hours free childcare policy.
In 2023, the Conservative government announced investment of £4.1bn by 2027/28 to expand the free 30-hour entitlement, making it available for working parents of children from nine months old by September 2025.
Previous studies have claimed that by focusing on working parents, the entitlement favours middle and high-income parents to the detriment of children from poorer families who would benefit the most.
The new report highlights the government funding model could create a situation that risks deepening inequalities further – with children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds less likely to reach the expected levels of development by the time they start school.
Children who start behind are much less likely to catch up later, with two fifths of the disadvantage gap at GCSE level attributable to early years, putting them at a potential life-long disadvantage.
Experts are calling on the new Labour government to focus on incentivising providers to operate in ‘cold spots’ in disadvantaged areas where there is no provision.
Sheffield Hallam University and Save the Children worked together to establish a new nursery in an area of disadvantage in Sheffield where there was no affordable provision for children aged two to four-years-old.
The community-led Meadows Nursery opened in April 2021 to provide much-needed nursery places for local children. It has become a hub for family support including a parent breakfast club which enables peer support among parents, access to other support services as well as employment advice.
Professor Sally Pearse, Strategic Lead for Early Years at Sheffield Hallam University said: “Funding these nurseries adequately to provide both high quality education and care for children and support for parents is cost effective in the long-term, as it can prevent issues from escalating and placing demands on higher tier services.
“Our community nursery demonstrates the transformative power that emphasising the role of families in children’s early care and education can have, and we have seen the positive impacts that can be achieved through partnership working, linking parents to decision-makers, and building strong relationships with children’s families.”
Meghan Meek O'Connor, policy lead at Save the Children UK, said: "We share Sheffield Hallam University's concern that the disadvantage gap between young children could grow unless careful attention is paid to helping those most in need when it comes to nursery places. All young children should be able to enjoy the benefits of high-quality education and childcare, regardless of their parents' work or immigration status.
"The report is right to highlight that more needs to be done to ensure whole communities are served by a good nursery to stop cold spots developing across the country. The nursery we support in Sheffield is testament to the life-changing experiences children and parents have by having a secure early years setting in their community."
Read the full report and recommendations.
