Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will will make an estimate of the number of parents who are unable to access their entitlement to free childcare because the only available places are at nurseries that require the purchase of additional hours as a condition of accessing the free hours.

The department’s statutory guidance for local authorities advises that providers can charge for additional hours or services outside of the free entitlement hours, but this cannot be a condition for a parent to access a place. The guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/718179/Early_education_and_childcare-statutory_guidance.pdf.

The department does not collect data on parents who choose not to take up a place due to additional charges.

Parents who want to access their free hours entitlement without paying for additional costs should contact their local authority if they are having difficulty finding a place. Local authorities have a statutory duty to secure sufficient 30 hours free childcare places under the Childcare (Free of Charge for Working Parents) (England) Regulations 2022. The regulations are available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/1134/made/data.pdf.