Free childcare to be extended to low income families

“Extending free childcare to low income families will ensure that more vulnerable children receive the vital support they need from an early age. It's the earliest years of a child's life that are crucial in order for them to develop core skills they go on to use throughout their lives, giving them the best chance of reaching their full potential. This childcare offer needs to be seen alongside family support services that are already in place in communities. Children's centres would be an ideal place to provide a more holistic approach to working with vulnerable families, as trained early year's professionals understand the needs of families living in their area.

“However, we need to ensure that by increasing the childcare available to more two year olds, we do not stretch services even further. There needs to be sufficient funding in place to offer more vulnerable children the high-quality support they need from an early age.”