Labour MP Tulip Siddiq on Monday launched a new report in the UK Parliament calling for access to affordable childcare for working parents across all sections of society in Britain.
Siddiq, the opposition MP for Hampstead and Kilburn who is the niece of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and mother of two young children, is the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Childcare and Early Education in the House of Commons.
The cross-party APPG’s report titled ‘Steps to Sustainability’ warns that childcare in England risks becoming the preserve of the wealthy, unless a £660-million funding gap in a free childcare scheme is plugged. It warns that severe financial strain has been placed on private and independent nurseries offering the UK government's flagship free 30-hour childcare scheme for three-and four-year-olds across the country.
Siddiq said: "We know that the early years are hugely important to a child's physical and mental development and future life chances. However, there is a significant body of evidence to demonstrate that childcare providers are battling to achieve and maintain financial sustainability, and that government policies are a major cause of this challenge.
“We urge the government to take on board our recommendations and provide the urgent funding and support needed to successfully, and sustainably, deliver its childcare policies.”
The national scheme offers parents of all three and four-year-olds 30 hours of free childcare a week – up from 15 hours in 2017. But early years childcare providers in Britain have highlighted that the level at which these hours are funded by a government grant has meant operators have had to find other ways of making up the difference in the budget.
"Should this trend continue, we risk facing a situation where only wealthy families are able to access childcare services, leading to significant reductions in educational opportunities for children, as well as more challenges to parents looking to go back into work," warns the report, which has been welcomed by a cross-section of childcare providers.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance group, said that it is time for ministers to accept that under-funding is causing a “crisis of sustainability” in the sector, which is affecting the quality of childcare provided. The government, however, insists that its policy is having an overall positive impact on working parents who need to leave their young children in the care of safe nurseries during working hours.
"We are focused on raising the quality of the early years so that every child gets the best start - that's why we are investing more than any previous government in childcare and early education, including £3.5 billion on our offers this year alone,” said UK children and families minister Nadhim Zahawi.