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The Early Years ÍõÖÐÍõ¿ª½±½á¹û has commented following the Prime Minister's interview with Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts, in which he outlined some of the government's plans to tackle the 'cost of childcare'.

A recording of the interview, which was published on Wednesday 1 June, is available here: 

Commenting, ÍõÖÐÍõ¿ª½±½á¹û CEO Neil Leitch said: â€œIt’s disappointing that despite a wealth of research showing how important the first five years of a child’s life are to their long-term learning and development, the Prime Minister’s comments around upcoming early years reforms still focused almost entirely on ‘childcare’ and getting parents back to work, and not on the vital early education that early years settings provide.

“While it is very positive to hear that the government is planning to do more to attract childminders into the sector, unless these plans ensure that they, and the wider early years workforce, are finally treated like the education professionals that they are - and funded accordingly - they are unlikely to have much impact.

"It’s notable that, when asked about the government’s plans, the Prime Minister failed to mention proposals to relax ratios and we hope this is a sign that ministers have recognised how flawed and unpopular these plans are. Nevertheless, if we’re going to improve the early years system in this country, we need to make sure that provision isn’t just affordable and flexible but also high-quality, and as much as the government wants to avoid it, this requires investment. Attempting to implement reforms on the cheap just isn’t going to cut it."