Toddlers have been “sold out” to balance the books of the government’s childcare bill, according to nursery providers, who say young children have been put at risk by changes in supervision rules.
The deaths of two babies in nurseries made headlines last week but frontline workers say they are also concerned for the safety of older toddlers after the government relaxed rules on staff ratios.
Since September last year, nurseries and other childcare providers in England only need one adult for every five two-year-olds. Childcare experts say this must be urgentlyreversed because it could affect safety and prevent the most vulnerable children from accessing education.
Neil Leitch, the chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, which represents 14,000 providers of care and education to under-fives in England, told the Guardian that the change was dangerous and one of several recent early-years policies that constituted “a race to the bottom”.
Leitch said: “Those charged within government with the stewardship and the education development of our youngest children, I think they sold them out in favour of balancing the books because never do they talk about what’s in the best interest of children.”
He said he had met every secretary of state for education and chancellor in the last five years and “never has anybody ever said to me in any conversation: ‘Neil, tell me, what do you think would be in the best interest of children?’”
On the staffing ratios, Leitch said: “There’s no question that it’s more dangerous than if we kept it where it was,” adding that it also meant children with additional needs were struggling to find childcare places because managers are concerned about already stretched staff being able to cope.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that this sort of policy leads to the most disadvantaged, vulnerable families and children being pushed out even further,” he said.
“You have to create an environment whereby these educators are able to adequately support disadvantaged children. You can’t do that by piling the numbers in. This is about individual support, individual care. We’re not running mass camps.”
He said that bringing in more children resulted in less one-to-one time. “We witness it first-hand. I wish I’d had a pound for every educator I’ve spoken to that has been in tears, saying: ‘I can’t give this child enough time.’”
While providers were told the change in ratios from four to five for every adult was optional, Leitch said this “was never really a true choice” because of the financial pressures nurseries were already under. He said it was an “unethical and shameful position” to put providers in if they found themselves faced with a choice between going bust or taking on more children.
Leitch wants the next government to reverse the policy but neither the Conservatives or Labour has committed to this.
Rob Fox, the owner and manager of Happy Bunnies nursery school in Shepreth, south Cambridgeshire, said two-year-olds needed more attention than a one-to-five ratio was able to achieve. “They’re in that midpoint from babies to preschoolers and their needs are much greater,” he said
Fox said his nursery worked comfortably above the minimum ratio but that on the days they had to work with fewer staff, “we’re all emotionally drained”.
He said that “one to five is a push on the practitioners” and that children’s safety could be compromised.
Fox said his staff were mature but “if you’ve got a young, inexperienced workforce, then you’re going to have challenges”, adding that this could result in choking incidents at meal times or sleep checks not being recorded.
“The UN convention said that the rights of the child are paramount and children’s rights are at risk,” he said. “Where’s the children’s voice in all of this?”
A Conservative party spokesperson pointed out that the change brought English ratios for two-year-olds in line with Scotland, though qualification expectations are higher in Scotland. In Wales the ratio remains one to four.
Labour has not confirmed its position on the policy but led criticism of it before its introduction. At a Westminster Hall debate on the issue in November 2022, the shadow minister for children and early years, Helen Hayes, said “relaxing the ratios will increase the risk of a reduction in the quality and safety of provision” and called on the government to abandon the plans.
Leitch said he was concerned by the party’s reluctance to commit. “It feels slightly hypocritical, if you’ve been at the forefront of criticising it, accepting that it’s not in the best interests of children, and then when you’re in a position to do something about it, you allow it to continue. That doesn’t feel right to me.”
A Conservative spokesperson said: “The Conservatives announced a significant new investment in childcare, providing an additional £4.1 bn by 2027-28 to help more parents access childcare in support of their working lives … This will provide managers with the flexibility to use staff in a more efficient way, and managers will ultimately have the choice to work to their preferred ratio.”
