More than 150,000 parents and guardians have signed up for a new free childcare offer for two-year-olds, according to the Government. As of Friday April 5, some 150,459 childcare codes have been validated by providers across England, meeting a target ministers had set for themselves.
The Department for Education believes thousands more places will be secured over the coming weeks. The new scheme was rolled out on Monday, allowing working parents of two-year-olds now able to access 15 hours of Government-funded childcare each week.
Details of how to apply are on the Government's website. This will be extended to working parents of all children older than nine months from September this year, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week to all eligible families a year later. It is aimed at helping parents juggle their caring responsibilities with returning to work, thereby boosting economic productivity.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: "This Government is investing more than ever before in childcare, giving hard-working parents the support they need - so they no longer have to choose between having a family or a career. Our plan is working, with 150,459 more children now benefiting from quality childcare, and we expect more parents to take up the offer moving forward. Our childcare support is already helping well over a million families across the country, and we will stick to our plan to deliver a brighter future through security and certainty for hard-working parents."
Some childcare providers have welcomed the new scheme, including Iain Colledge, executive director of operations at Bright Horizons. He said: "We appreciate the Government's recognition of the importance of early years and we welcome the two-year-old funding coming into effect from April. We are pleased that the persistence demonstrated by providers has resulted in driving progress in this area as sustainable funding rates and funding certainty are crucial for maintaining the health of the sector."
But the Government's political opponents remain sceptical of the scheme. Bridget Phillipson MP, Labour's Shadow Education Secretary, said: "This confected target will be of no comfort to countless parents that cannot access the entitlements they have been promised.
"The reality is that with every passing day the Conservatives' childcare offer is unravelling because they've issued a pledge without a plan behind it: families across the country are reporting of waiting lists, nursery closures and additional costs negating any savings from the new entitlements. Funded hours are of no use to parents if they can't access them - that's why Labour has asked Sir David Bell to lead a review which will help us to develop the plan for delivering widened eligibility the Conservatives have shamefully failed to draw up."
Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Munira Wilson claimed that ministers' boasts will "ring hollow to thousands of parents who can't find good nursery or childminder places for their children".
She added: "Tory ministers are just showing how out of touch they are with families across the country. More than 3,000 providers have closed in the last year alone, because of the chaos and underfunding inflicted by the Conservatives. And it's children and their parents who are paying the price. The Liberal Democrats have set out a clear and properly funded plan for childcare, that will ensure every family can access the affordable, fair childcare they need."
