Labour MP for Hitchin, Alistair Strathern, has hailed the launch of the Government’s pilot investment to set up school-based nurseries, a major step towards delivering affordable, high-quality early years education for thousands of families.
Primary schools can now apply for up to £150,000 to support up to 300 new or expanded nurseries across England. With accessing childcare a big challenge for families locally, the MP will be writing to local schools to encourage them to apply and sign up to be part of the policy.
Alongside the launch of the fund, the Government also announced action to clamp down on settings mandating parents pay ‘top up’ charges on top of their free childcare entitlement, after MPs including Mr Strathern highlighted the impact this was having on families in their constituency.
Commenting, Alistair Strathern MP said:
"Every child deserves the best start in life, but I’ve heard from countless local families that sky-high childcare costs are holding them back.
“I welcome this announcement – it’s a game changer for local families and I'll be urging our schools to take advantage of this scheme and apply for the pilot.
“I’ll also keep the pressure on the Minister to tackle top-up fees, which so many parents have told me make it hard to afford the childcare they need."
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
“All children should have the opportunity of a brilliant early education, no matter who they are, where they’re from, or how much their parents earn.
“Our new school-based nurseries will provide thousands of additional places where they are needed most, plugging historic gaps and making sure geography is no barrier to high quality childcare.
“Whilst some parents may not get their first-choice place next September, I’m determined that every parent is able to access and afford the hours that they are entitled to.”
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