Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason the extension of free childcare will not commence until 2024.

The government announced in the Spring Budget 2023 that there will be a number of transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By 2027/28, this government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This announcement represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England.

Currently, eligible working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds are eligible for 30 hours of free childcare per week, over 38 weeks a year. From April 2024, working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of free childcare per week, over 38 weeks a year. From September 2024, this will be extended to parents of 9 month to 3-year-olds, and from September 2025, working parents of 9 month to 3-year-olds will be able to access 30 free hours per week, over 38 weeks a year.

This is a large expansion in the 30 hours offer and will take some time to implement and rollout. The department wants to make sure that taxpayers’ money is used efficiently, and the new offer is delivered in the best way. The department is ensuring a phased implementation of the expansion to the offer to allow the market to develop the necessary capacity, and we are working closely with the sector on the implementation of these reforms.

The department has already spent more than £20 billion over the past five years to support families with the cost of childcare. In the last decade, we have doubled the free childcare entitlement for working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds to 30 hours and introduced 15 free hours a week for disadvantaged 2-year-olds.

The reforms announced build on our current early education entitlements which continue to support parents, including a universal 15-hour offer for all 3 and 4-year-olds, the 15-hour offer for the most disadvantaged 2-year-olds, and the existing 30 hours offer, as well as Tax Free Childcare and Universal Childcare.