After the shortest possible time, the Coalition’s new childcare minister has announced what was clearly a foregone decision – which is that she is going to do nothing at all.
Nurseries currently have either to opt out of the ‘Free Funding’ voucher scheme. Or accept it and lose money on every session they offer.
To top up fees is illegal and subject to fines of £50,000,000 or something.
Result? The government trumpets its street-cred support for ‘hard-working families’ whilst smaller nurseries in poorer areas (the very people they need on their side) go BROKE.
How pathetic.
