Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to raise awareness of free early years childcare.

Take-up of the early learning entitlement for three- and four-year-olds is higher than it has ever been, with 97% of three- and four-year-olds benefiting from a funded place. This figure increases to 99% of four-year-olds.

The funded entitlement for two-year-olds was introduced in September 2013. Our latest data from local authorities at May 2014 shows that around 116,000 two-year-olds were already accessing a funded early education place.

The Department for Education publishes the take-up of free early years childcare entitlement annually. This information is published online at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/provision-for-children-under-5-years-of-age-january-2014

The Government agrees that it is important that parents of eligible children are made aware of the entitlement, and supported to take up a place for their child. The Government is providing local authorities with information that enables them to target information about the entitlement directly to parents’ of eligible children. The Department is also working to ensure that other professionals, such as health visitors and Jobcentre Plus advisers, are able to support parent awareness of their child’s entitlements. We are also about to start a targeted marketing campaign to help raise awareness further.