Liz Truss is said to be considering a shake-up of the childcare subsidy system in England whereby parents, rather than nurseries, would be handed Government cash to spend as they see fit. As it stands, all three and four-year olds in England are entitled to 15 hours’ free childcare a week during term time, while some families can claim up to double that amount.
The funding for each place is currently sent straight to approved providers, such as nurseries or childminders. However, the Prime Minister and her Education Secretary, Kit Malthouse, are reportedly weighing up proposals that would see the money paid directly to parents to invest as they wish.
The Department for Education (DfE) said “a wide range of options” are being explored to make childcare more accessible and affordable, but no decisions have yet been made. The Times said one option is for parents to be given a flexible childcare budget in place of a paid-for space, with the Government potentially loosening the rules on which providers can offer the care and how old children need to be to qualify.
