The findings are part of the watchdog's report into the Government's expanded offer for working families. Photo: WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe
Parents face the prospect of lower quality childcare due to Rishi Sunak's extension of free hours, the government's spending watchdog has warned.
A large influx of “more inexperienced” staff pre-school age alongside lower staffing and childcare ratios for two-year-olds could compromise the quality of provision, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).
The findings form part of the watchdog's report into the government's Extended Offer for working families with children aged nine months across England.
As part of the phased rollout of the childcare offer, working parents of two-year-olds were given access to 15 hours of paid childcare this month.
This will be extended to working parents of all older children. than nine months from September, before the full introduction of 30 hours a week for all eligible families is a year away.
The NAO warned that the expansion could “impact on the quality of services or places for vulnerable children”.
There are concerns that the rapid growth of places could affect quality or displace children who are “more difficult or expensive to maintain”, the watchdog said.
The report said: “In particular, the risk of a large influx of children is an increase in the number of inexperienced staff and providers, as well as changes in staffing and childcare ratios in the DfE [Department for Education] for two-year-olds and the qualifications of practitioners may compromise quality.”
Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, announced the move in March last year. Photo: JUSTIN TULLIS/AFP
Local authorities, sector representatives and the DfE told the watchdog that “lack of staff represents the main barrier to expansion.”
< p>Last week the DfE estimated that for full implementation to By September 2025, about 85,000 new places in kindergartens and an additional 40,000 employees will be required.
Last March, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced that by September 2025, families with children aged nine months in England would be able to claim 30 hours of free childcare per week.
The Government also announced it would increase The minimum staff to child ratio in England is from 1:4 to 1:5 for two-year-olds, but the change is not mandatory.
The timetable showed “significant uncertainty” around feasibility, costs and benefits because the DfE had not consulted with the early years sector before announcing the Budget, the watchdog said.
The NAO report concluded: “The government's main objective for expansion benefits is to encourage more parents to work.
“Even if the DfE successfully navigates the significant uncertainties, it remains unclear whether the extension will achieve its core purpose. , represent value for money and do not have a negative impact on the DfE's wider priorities of quality and closing the achievement gap for disadvantaged people.”
NAO has called on the DfE to monitor the impact of childcare reforms on quality to understand whether “unintended consequences” such as the availability and quality of places for disadvantaged children or children with special educational needs and disabilities need to be managed. .
In February the government launched a £6.5 million recruitment campaign to encourage people to work in the early years of life. sector Credit: Halfpoint Images/Moment RF
The watchdog said there remains “uncertainty” about whether the sector can expand to provide enough childcare places for eligible parents amid a shortage of qualified personnel and suitable premises.
Just 34 per cent of local authorities surveyed by the DfE in March were confident their area would have enough places to meet demand in September.
Dame Meg Hillier, chair of the cross-party Public Accounts Committee, said: “ The DfE urgently needs to clarify what it will do if the early years education sector fails to recruit the staff it so desperately needs without disappointing tens of thousands of parents. over the next 18 months.”
In February, the government launched a £6.5 million recruitment campaign to encourage people to work in the early years sector.
The DfE also announced a trial to pay new recruits and those returning to work in their first years of work cash £1,000 payments soon after they take up their post.
A DfE spokesman said: “This Government is delivering the biggest ever expansion of childcare in England. story.
“The NAO rightly recognizes that we have already exceeded our target for the first phase of the rollout, with almost 200,000 two-year-olds already benefiting from government-funded places, helping parents balance their careers and childcare.
“We have taken decisive steps to prepare the sector for the next stages, including increasing funding well above market rates, launching a jobs campaign and new apprenticeship routes, and providing £100 million in capital investment to expand or refurbish facilities.”< /p>
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