Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of current childcare support arrangements for working parents, including (a) the relationship between minimum work requirements and the number of funded childcare hours available, (b) the availability of childcare support outside term time, and (c) the potential impact of childcare costs and accessibility on parents’ ability to enter or remain in employment.

The department is investing over £1 billion more in the early years entitlements this year compared to 2025/26 and an above inflation increase to entitlements funding rates. In 2026/27, we expect to provide over £9.5 billion for the early years entitlements. Coram–PACEY’s 2026 Childcare Survey found that the expansion of 30 hours of funded childcare significantly reduced costs for eligible working parents in England, in some cases making part time childcare effectively free during term time.

The minimum work requirement acts as a qualifying threshold. Once met, families can access the full funded childcare entitlement. There is no direct proportional relationship between hours worked or earnings and the number of funded childcare hours. However, the department’s 2025 Childcare Experiences Survey covered the expanded entitlements and showed that 13% of parents increased their working hours after starting to claim the entitlement.

By allowing funded hours to be stretched across the year, deducting closures from calculations, and enabling mixed‑provider models, the system is designed to work alongside all‑year childcare businesses, managing funding and fees transparently and within national limits, broadening parental choice.