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The Latest Breaking News from Neil Leitch

Free childcare crisis as surge in demand leaves Labour with funding black hole

Exclusive: Education secretary Bridget Phillipson insists she is unafraid of scheme’s soaraway popularity, describing it as a ‘good problem to have’

The Independent UK

Pledge to create thousands more nursery places has backfired, early years groups say

Schools are pushing out established groups as funding for more places comes on stream

The Guardian - UK

£75m expansion fund for extra childcare places ahead of full rollout

But early years providers have warned that they could be forced to close as a result of national insurance and minimum wage rises in the Budget.

The Independent UK

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Parents face higher nursery fees due to national insurance hike, charity warns

Two in five senior staff in childcare settings have said changes in the Budget could lead to permanent closures unless the Government takes action.

Evening Standard

Major fears over Labour’s nursery plan for 9-month-olds in schools

Early years experts warn of lack of staff, playgrounds and toilets

The Guardian - UK

Nurseries in England say new rules have reduced care to ‘crowd control’

The first study into the Tory shake-up of childcare shows staff are overwhelmed

The Guardian - UK

Free childcare pledge in England in peril after Tories ‘recklessly rushed out’ plan

Nurseries warn they lack staff for next month’s expansion of free provision that was promised by Conservatives

The Guardian - UK

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Childcare sector in ‘crisis’ with ‘pitiful’ number of childminders signing up to government grant scheme

Exclusive: ‘This latest childminder numbers debacle is yet more evidence that the Tories offered a pledge without a delivery plan,’ says shadow education secretary

The Independent UK

Toddlers ‘sold out’ to balance books of childcare bill, English nursery providers say

Experts say government’s relaxation of rules on staff ratios for two-year-olds is putting children at undue risk

The Guardian - UK

‘Heartbreaking’: the nursery forced to close over Hunt’s free childcare policy

Critics say the surprise policy in last spring budget’s was ill-thought-out, prompting higher prices and fewer nurseries

The Guardian - UK

Free childcare plan in chaos as funding for Tories’ key pledge unravels

Parents face missing out on free support at eleventh hour due to funding disarray

The Independent UK

Government admits criticised new childcare policy is ‘no easy task’ to implement

Exclusive: As the government rolls out registration for new childcare hours, Labour warns Tories’ pledges are ‘meaningless’ to parents unable to find childcare

The Independent UK

Jeremy Hunt’s free childcare pledge ‘doomed to fail’ as thousands of nurseries close amid staffing crisis

Exclusive: One mother says she will soon be forced to drive 60 miles a day for childcare due to lack of services in her area

The Independent UK

Pandemic set back social and emotional growth of children in England, study finds

Half of youngsters from all economic backgrounds affected and especially those whose parents’ jobs were hit, says the Institute for Fiscal Studies

The Guardian - UK

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The Independent UK

Government has more work to do to ensure families secure quality childcare – MPs

Plans to expand the number of subsidised childcare places for working parents in England ‘should not come at the expense of quality’, report says.

The Independent UK

Childcare reforms ‘risk exacerbating inequality’, says report

Plans to expand free childcare for working parents were ‘problematic’, an education charity has warned.

The Independent UK

Expansion of free childcare may not be delivered universally, councils warn

Nearly nine in 10 local authorities are concerned that nursery closures this year will be significant, a survey found.

The Independent UK

Youngsters reduced to ‘numbers on spreadsheet’, says childcare leader

The leader of the Early Years Alliance has accused the Government of prioritising the economy over quality care for children.

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The Guardian - UK

One in 10 childcare providers in England likely to close, official report finds

Experts say years of government inaction have created ‘catastrophic’ situation as carers struggle to cover costs

Daily Mirror

Nurseries and childminders back Ofsted shakeup as stressed staff suffer 'sleepless nights'

The watchdog has bit hit by a major backlash after headteacher Ruth Perry took her own life in January whilst awaiting an inspection judgement which downgraded her school

Evening Standard

Is the UK’s childcare system too broken for Jeremy Hunt’s £4 billion plan to fix?

Last week the Chancellor announced the largest expansion of free childcare England has ever seen but neither parents nor providers are happy about it. Kate Wills reports

The Guardian - UK

Jeremy Hunt’s ‘paltry sign-up payments’ won’t stop childminder exodus

Experts say sweetener unhelpful as numbers in England fall to lowest in a decade amid increasing costs, stress and admin

The Independent UK

Childcare sector facing chronic shortages and mass closures concerned about Government expansion pledge

Chancellor made announcement in Wednesday’s Spring Budget speech but sector is ‘on its knees’

The Guardian - UK

Hunt’s £4bn childcare boost welcomed but fears remain for struggling sector

Campaigners call for fully funded system saying free 30 hours of support would take years to filter through

The Independent UK

Kate ‘absolutely determined’ to change attitudes to early years development

Her awareness-raising campaign, ‘highlighting the critical importance’ of a person’s first five years in shaping their adult life, launches this week.

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