Government’s flagship 30-hour free childcare offer ‘entrenches disadvantage’, MPs say

‘Early years policies are failing to address significant social injustices in children's life chances’

The policy does not target the families who need most help, the Education Committee concludes (PA)

The government’s flagship 30 hours’ free childcare offer is “entrenching disadvantage” as it fails to target the poorest families who need it most, a cross-party group of MPs says.

Social injustices that exist in the early years system are not being tackled by the government, according to a report from the Education Committee.

The MPs have also called for state-run nursery schools – of which the majority serve children in disadvantaged areas in the country – to be fully funded.

Evidence from social mobility charity the Sutton Trust suggests the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their richer peers is already in place at the age of five.

A gap the equivalent of 4.3 months is evident when they start school, and more than doubles to 9.5 months at the end of primary school, the research suggests.

The government’s 30 hours’ childcare policy is widening the gap between disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers, the report says, as it leads to financial pressure on nurseries, provides more advantaged children with quality childcare, and puts stress on the availability of places.

Robert Halfon, the Tory chair of the select committee, said: “It’s vital the government reform the 30-hour childcare offer to focus it to help the most disadvantaged.

“The government should also ensure that maintained nurseries, who often deliver excellent outcomes for disadvantaged kids, get the funding support they need.”

He added: “There remain significant social injustices in children’s life chances in England which early years childcare and education is failing to address.

“Supporting a child in the early years of their life is crucial to tackling social injustice and giving children the best possible chance to succeed.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said: “While the government talks a good game when it comes to ‘closing the gap’ and supporting the life chances of children from poorer backgrounds, the fact is that many of its flagship childcare policies do the exact opposite.”

He added called on the government to review its current approach to childcare policy and to deliver practical support to children, families and providers, rather than “empty rhetoric”.