Coram Family and Childcare has released the results from its latest survey of local authorities around the expansion of early education entitlements in England.

It asks local authorities how the first phase of the rollout is going, and their confidence to deliver the next two phases:

• April 2024: 15 hours for two-year-olds of eligible parents 
• September 2024: 15 hours for children aged 9 months to school-age 
• September 2025: 30 hours for children aged 9 months to school-age 

First phase of the rollout (April 2024)

When asked about the April 2024 rollout, just over half (52%) of councils said that all or almost all eligible parents who wanted to take up the new entitlements have been able to. 53% of the local authorities surveyed identified workforce challenges as being the biggest barrier to take-up.

Upcoming expansion (September 2024 and September 2025)

When asked about the expansion to eligible children aged 9 months and up:

• 41% local authorities said they are confident in this expansion (up from 28% when asked back in January)
• A lower proportion (11%) said they are confident in the rollout in September 2025
• 75% say their biggest concern in delivering this expansion is the local workforce

Manifesto

Along with this data, Coram Family and Childcare has published its manifesto ahead of the general election. It sets out areas for reform: improving the quality, accessibility and affordability of childcare and early years provision, increasing funding to sufficient levels and resolving the workforce crisis.