Norwich mum warns more investment for free childcare rollout
Jeremy Hunt confirmed in the Spring Budget that an extra £500 million will be going into paying staff in the industry
A Norwich mum says more still needs to be invested in childcare providers in the county.
It comes after Jeremy Hunt confirmed in yesterday’s Budget that the Government’s investing an extra £500 million across two years into paying staff in the industry.
“180,000 childcare spaces are at risk of being lost”
Rebecca Wright lives near Norwich:
“There has been an overall warning to Jeremy Hunt that 180,000 childcare spaces are at risk of being lost because of the lack of money going into the sector.
“This is something that will leave a lot of parents without options.”
She told us how her local nursery is being affected:
“My nursery says her funding has been reduced by 40p per child, per hour. So despite the Government saying that there will be more investment this doesn’t seem to be coming down to the providers themselves”.
What’s the Government said?
The Government says eligible working parents of two year olds will be entitled to 15 hours of free childcare a week from April.
From September 2024, 15 hours of free childcare will be extended down to the age of nine months for working parents.
From September 2025, working parents of children aged nine months and upwards will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare per week right up to their child starting school.
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