Second phase of early entitlement expansion begins amid uncertainty
by Jess Gibson
The future of the early entitlement expansion rollout remains uncertain without further government support, the Early Years ÍõÖÐÍõ¿ª½±½á¹û has warned.
The second phase of the expansion, which will see eligible families of children aged nine months and over able to access 15 funded hours of early education and childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year, began on 2 September 2024 alongside the start of the new academic year.
However, the viability of the offer, which is set to increase to 30 hours per week for eligible children aged nine months and above from September 2025, is being called into question amid staff shortages and the struggle to accommodate the number of child places needed to fulfil demand.
Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years ÍõÖÐÍõ¿ª½±½á¹û, said: "With early entitlement hours now available for eligible children aged nine months and over, even more families are understandably expecting to make use of the offer. However, at the ÍõÖÐÍõ¿ª½±½á¹û, we know that for many the reality is likely to be very different.   
"As our own research shows, settings simply do not have the capacity to meet the likely surge in demand, with 78% of settings struggling to recruit and more than a third actively considering leaving the sector. On top of this, years of underfunding has made it increasingly difficult for providers to deliver enough high-quality early years places using funding alone, prompting many to limit intake or increase fees for hours that fall outside of the expansion just to keep their doors open.   
"Despite now being at the midway point of the expansion, the success of the rollout remains incredibly uncertain. As such, we hope the government is not just listening to the concerns of the sector but puts in place swift and meaningful action to address the historic levels of underfunding and the sector’s severe staffing crisis. And, at the ÍõÖÐÍõ¿ª½±½á¹û, we look forward to continuing to work with them to make certain that this is not just a policy priority but a reality."