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By Rachel Lawler

 

In a joint letter,  and co-ordinated by the Alliance, several charities have voiced concerns about the impact of the government’s 30-hour and tax-free childcare policies on social mobility.

 

The letter warns that government childcare and early years policies are having a detrimental impact on disadvantaged and low-income families across England.

 

The letter states: "We are concerned that the government’s approach to childcare policy is at risk of undermining its social mobility ambitions. Its flagship 30-hours scheme represents a unique opportunity to support working families in accessing quality, affordable childcare. However, survey findings from the Pre-school Learning �黨Ӱ��suggest that to remain financially viable, a significant proportion of early-years providers have had to introduce or increase additional charges – and, in some cases, prioritise places for those families able to pay for extras. This means that working families on the lowest incomes are at risk of missing out."

 

The other signatories on the letter are: The Sutton Trust, Gingerbread, Child Poverty Action Group, Action for Children, Children England, National Children’s Bureau and Family Action.

 

These concerns come shortly after a conducted by the �黨Ӱ��found that just one third of providers are currently offering the 30-hours offer without any additional charges. The survey also highlighted that 37% of providers have increased or introduced additional charges as a result of the 30-hours offer.

 

Earlier this year, Action for Children also revealed that nearly 1,000 children’s centres may not hav