Preschool warns waiting lists are at 20-year high

Robin Preschool in Kidlington is among those to have seen rising demand

An Oxfordshire preschool has warned that waiting lists are at a 20-year high at a time when the system is set to come under more pressure.

From April, working parents with two-year-olds will be eligible for 15 hours of childcare, 38 weeks a year, funded by the government.

It is part of a wider rollout that will see all working parents with children under five get 30 hours free next year.

The government said it was confident the childcare market would cope.

Teresa Juggins, manager of Robin Preschool in Kidlington, is concerned about additional demand

But Teresa Juggins, manager of Robin Preschool in Kidlington, said providers were struggling to cope with the extra demand.

Ms Juggins said: “The funding is not enough money to make ends meet – to pay staff wages and to meet the cost of living like your gas and electricity bills.

“I’ve been working here for 20 years, I have a waiting list that is the longest I’ve ever seen it and we get phone calls every day."

Chief executive of National Day Nurseries Association, Purnima Tanuku, said: “Early years workforces are best placed to realise any educational needs, communication needs and special education needs - and that’s why every penny invested in early years saves absolutely millions in the long-term.”

Lauren Fabianski, who works for a charity supporting mothers, said some have been left frustrated trying to navigate the system

International research has shown children who spend longer in early years provision have better educational outcomes later.

The number of childcare providers registered with Ofsted in the year up to March 2023 fell by 4,800.

That is down by 7%, putting more pressure on nurseries that have managed to stay open.

Lauren Fabianski, head of campaigns and communication at charity Pregnant Then Screwed, said: “When the scheme opened for application at the start of January we became absolutely inundated with messages from parents who were very confused and frustrated trying to navigate the system.”

She added: “We surveyed 6,000 parents who were eligible to access the scheme and just 11% had been able to secure or could to get the free hours.”

The government said the application system was working "as intended" and that it was trying to ensure all parents could access the codes they need in time for April.

It said it was "confident" in the strength of the childcare market to deliver the largest ever expansion in childcare in England’s history.