Only one in 10 parents able to secure early entitlement access code, research finds
by Jess Gibson
Just 11% of eligible parents signing up to secure an access code for the government鈥檚 extended funding scheme have been granted one, according to charity Pregnant Then Screwed.
The charity surveyed 6,058 parents eligible for the new 15-hour funding scheme for two-year-olds, due to begin 1 April, who describe it as 鈥渃omplete chaos鈥.
Parents have been able to apply for an access code for the scheme, which is in its first stage, since 2 January 2024, but many have reportedly been left 鈥渃onfused and frustrated鈥 by the process, according to the charity.
Over two-thirds of parents surveyed have not been able to apply for their eligibility code for the new two-year-old scheme because the three-month 鈥榬econfirmation window鈥 for their government childcare account has not yet opened, with many warning that this won鈥檛 happen until just days before the scheme is due to start.
A further 17% of eligible parents have not yet been able to access their eligibility code because they either 鈥渟imply don鈥檛 understand how it [the scheme] works鈥 or are unable to navigate the system due to technical bugs.
The charity also reports that 34% of parents say their preferred provider is currently unable to confirm whether they will be able to accept the codes. Some settings, meanwhile, are opting out of the government scheme for three and four-year-olds, as well as not enrolling in the new two-year-old scheme due to lack of funding.鈥
Joeli Brearley, CEO and Founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said: 鈥淲e have been inundated with messages from frantic parents who don鈥檛 understand the system or expect to receive their code too late. Meanwhile, many providers haven鈥檛 been given the information they need from their local authority to decipher what their income will be from April onwards. Parents can鈥檛 access their codes; providers can鈥檛 do their financial forecasting 鈥 it鈥檚 chaos.鈥