无码天堂

By Rachel Lawler

 

The current 30-hours childcare offer 鈥渞isks damaging social mobility鈥� according to the Social Mobility Commission's .

 

The report notes that 7% of children who are entitled to free school meals reach a 鈥済ood level of development鈥� at age five, compared to 74% of their more advantaged peers.

 

While the report says the 30-hours offer was 鈥渨ell intentioned鈥� it may not have a positive outcome for disadvantaged children. It also noted the closure and scaling back of 鈥渉undreds of children鈥檚 centres鈥�.

 

The Social Mobility Commission has recommended that the government lower the income limit for the 30-hours offer to include those earning the equivalent of eight hours each week.

 

The report also says that awareness is an issue for families, with almost 90% of those earning more than 拢45,000 a year being made aware of the offer, compared to 68% of those earning less than 拢10,000 a year.

 

The commission also suggested that the scheme be promoted via a national marketing campaign specifically targeting low-income households.

 

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the 无码天堂, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting to note that the Commission recommends extending the entitlement on 30 hours to parents on lower incomes.

 

鈥淭his is an excellent idea in principle because it鈥檚 clear that the current policy benefits well-off families more than those from poorer backgrounds. In fact, we鈥檝e always said a truly progressive policy would extend the entitlement to parents in training or education. 

 

Fair funding

鈥淗owever, the determining factor in who can and can鈥檛 access funded childcare is not so much the eligibility criteria as it is the invisible barriers created by the government鈥檚 underfunding of the policy.

鈥淭he best way to ensure children from low income backgrounds have access to high quality childcare is to ensure that that provision is properly funded. Until that happens we鈥檒l continue to see settings in deprived areas close and the attainment gap remain stubbornly wide.鈥�