Free childcare expansion 'worrying', Dodford nursery warns

Rachel Martin said other nurseries were in a similar position over staff and spaces

The expansion of free childcare is "worrying" due to a lack of spaces and staff, a nursery manager says.

From April, working parents of two-year-olds will get 15 hours per week during term time, with children from nine months included from September.

But Rachel Martin, who runs a nursery in Dodford, Northamptonshire, said recruitment was "a massive struggle".

The Department for Education (DfE) said it was confident "in the strength of our childcare market".

Working parents in England have been able to apply for the new scheme since 2 January.

The expansion should have fully rolled out by September 2025.

Ms Martin said the Holborn House Nursery's rural location hindered staff recruitment, and wages were also "a massive factor".

"The funding [from the government] isn't enough to cover wages so then we have to pass those cost onto parents," she said.

The expansion of free childcare will help parents return to work, the government says

In the Spring Budget in March 2023, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the current childcare scheme would be extended to cover younger children, on a phased basis.

But Ms Martin said: "The worrying thing is... already we're stretched. I don't know where all of these children are going to go.

"I think nurseries have places, but they don't have the staff to support the children in there."

She said her nursery was full until September with a waiting list.

"All nurseries I'm talking to are in a very similar situation where they are becoming full so quick and oversubscribed for a year or two years in advance," Ms Martin added.

Holbourn House Nursery's rural location can cause issue with recruitment, Ms Martin said

Catheryn, in Towcester, has a three-year-old in nursery but said others in the town had to wait up to 18 months for a place.

The mother, who did not want to give her surname, said: "For whatever reason so many childcare providers can't sustain the free hours for the three to four-year-olds, and with the additional funding coming in for the younger children it's going to be even more unsustainable for them.

"I was chatting to a mum the other day and she is 12 weeks' pregnant and has already had to put her unborn baby on a waiting list."

She said rather than getting parents back into work, the expansion was "forcing us to consider reducing hours to accommodate childcare".

A DfE spokesperson said: "We are confident in the strength of our childcare market to deliver the largest ever expansion in childcare in England's history and have increased the hourly funding rates with a £204m cash boost this year and over £400m next year.

"To increase staff numbers, we are also launching a new national recruitment campaign and are looking to introduce a new accelerated apprenticeship route into the sector."