Treasury announces 拢44 million additional early years funding
By Rachel Lawler
The Treasury has announced that it will be spending an additional 拢44 million on funding to 鈥渋ncrease the hourly rate paid to childcare providers鈥 for the government鈥檚 funded childcare offers.
The announcement came as part of the Treasury鈥檚 Spending Review which outlined the government鈥檚 spending plans for the next year.
The Spending Review also confirmed that the National Living Wage (NLW) will increase to 拢8.91 an hour and will be extended to all employees aged 23 and over 鈥 currently only employees aged 25 and over are entitled to NLW.
The National Minimum Wage for younger workers and apprentices will also be increasing as follows:
- 21-22 year olds - up 2% from 拢8.20 an hour to 拢8.36 an hour
- 18-20 year olds 鈥 up 1.7% from 拢6.45 an hour to 拢6.56 an hour
- 16-17 year olds 鈥 up 1.5% from 拢4.55 an hour to 拢4.62 an hour
- apprentices 鈥 up 3.6% from 拢4.15 an hour to 拢4.30 an hour
The Chancellor also announced an additional 拢2.2 billion for schools in 2021-22 and 拢2.9 billion for a 鈥淩estart Scheme鈥 which aims to help one million unemployed people find work.
Commenting, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: 鈥淲hile we welcome any new support for the early years sector, at a time when so many early years providers are on the brink of closure, it is frankly insulting that the government is continuing to tinker at the edges rather than committing to properly funding early years provision in this country
鈥淲ith the Treasury today committing to billions of pounds in spending on schools, it has to be asked: is this the best that we can do for our young children?
鈥淣urseries, pre-schools and childminders have been on the frontline throughout the pandemic, providing quality care and education in the most challenging of circumstances 鈥 but that harsh reality is that without a substantial investment into the early years sector, we will start to see providers shut their doors, parents lose vital childcare and children prevented from accessing critical early education.
鈥淭he government had an opportunity today to show that it values early education and it failed to take it. For the sake of providers, children and families across the country, we urge them to rethink this decision, and commit to providing the significant investment that the sector actually needs.鈥
Earlier this year, the 麻花影视called on the government to invest 拢240 million in an Early Years Sufficiency Fund, targetted at providers at risk of closure following the pandemic. This figure was based on an analysis of a recent survey of the early years sector by independent researchers Ceeda.
Last month, the TUC and IPPR called on the government to commit to retaining pre-pandemic levels of funding to early years providers and recommended at least 拢88 million in transitional funding for the sector to protect jobs.
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麻花影视calls for 拢240 million early years investment