Expanding Childcare: time for children, parents and family learning includes analysis and recommendations from experts including labour market economists, children development and parental engagement experts, organisations representing working families, childcare groups and family learning specialists.
The paper considers in particular the advantages and disadvantages of the new childcare entitlements announced by the Government. These extend the existing free childcare entitlements so that by September 2025, working parents with children aged 9 months to 2 years old will join those of 3- to 4- year-olds, who are already entitled to 30 hours free childcare.
Authors also look at wider issues for childcare including the professionalisation of the childcare workforce, pay and strategies for childcare workforce development.
The paper looks at the benefits of free childcare and examines its role in supporting not only the important aspects of child development and parental time for work, but also time for parents to develop themselves through adult learning, participate in skills training to get a better job, and engage in family learning to the benefit of the whole family.
The report concludes with recommendations from Campaign for Learning.
Authors in Expanding Childcare: time for children, parents and family learning
Will Snell, Chief Executive, The Fairness Foundation
Anneka Dawson, Head of Pre-16 Education, Ceri Williams, Senior Research Fellow, and Alexandra Nancarrow, Research Fellow, Institute for Employment Studies
Paul Bivand, Independent Policy Analyst
James Cockett, Labour Market Economist and Claire McCartney, Policy Adviser, Resourcing and Inclusion, CIPD
Jane van Zyl, Chief Executive, Working Families
Janeen Hayat, Director of Collective Action, Fair Education Alliance
Megan Jarvie, Head of Coram Family and Childcare
Professor Elizabeth Rapa and Professor Louise Dalton, University of Oxford
Lee Elliot Major, Professor of Social Mobility, University of Exeter
Bea Stevenson, Head of Education, Family Links the Centre for Emotional Health
Simon Ashworth, Policy Director, AELP
Sharon Cousins, Vice Principal, Newham College and National Association for Managers of Student Services Executive
Susan Pember, Policy Director, HOLEX
Sam Freedman, Senior Fellow, Institute for Government
Susan Doherty, Development Officer – Family Learning, Education Scotland
Susannah Chambers, Independent Consultant
Henriett Toth, Parent
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