A new report by Coram Family and Childcare has warned that disadvantaged children in the UK are being left behind by Government childcare policy, with those from lower-income families receiving far less Government-funded early education than their peers.
According to the report, a child with eligible working parents will receive nearly three times as much Government-funded early education as a disadvantaged child by the time they start school.
This comes as the Government’s latest expansion of early education entitlements is rolled out, giving children of working parents up to 30 hours of funded childcare per week from the age of nine months until they begin school.
However, families who do not meet the income or work criteria are excluded from this support, forcing them to cover costs that can reach £205 per week for under-twos, and as much as £274 in London. Groups affected include children of parents in education or training, those unable to work due to illness, and migrant families with restricted access to public funds.
Coram is calling for urgent reform to ensure all children have equal access to early education, regardless of their family circumstances.
Cllr Amanda Hopgood, chair of the Local Government Association’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, said: “We have long raised concerns about the potential disparity in support given the entitlements focus on children of working parents and would like to see the Government review the entitlements offer to tackle this.”
The report highlights growing concerns that unequal access to early education could widen the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers before they even start school, deepening long-term inequalities.
