Yesterday (11 June) the Conservative party launched its manifesto ahead of the 4 July general election.

The manifesto confirms the expansion of 15 hours of funded entitlements for eligible parents of children aged between 9 months to 2 years old from September 2024, as previously announced. This will increase to 30 hours for children aged 9 months to school-age from September 2025. It outlines a £300 million investment for all parents to access wraparound school childcare by September 2026.

The manifesto also commits to increase the hourly funding rate for providers over the next two years by £500 million “helping the sector, including childminders, to hire more staff, create more places and spend less time on paperwork.”

It also commits to deliver a Family Hub to every local authority in England, offering breastfeeding support, antenatal care, early learning interventions among other services.