Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said:
"Today's Ofsted figures are further proof that the early years
sector is in need of urgent and significant support if we are to
have any hope of successfully delivering the final phase of early
entitlement expansion.
"While the findings show a slight increase in the number of early
years places, the fact that more than four in ten local
authorities reported a drop in places clearly shows that
longstanding sector challenges – namely, funding and staffing –
must be addressed as a matter of urgency to build the additional
capacity the sector so desperately needs.
"What's more, the continued trend of plummeting childminder
numbers, which accounts for the vast majority of the decline of
overall providers, remains deeply concerning. Childminding
professionals are an incredibly important source of quality,
flexible home-based care and education, and it has never been
more important to ensure that this critical part of the sector
receives the support it needs – both now and in the long-term –
to reverse this worrying trend.
"Now, with less than a year to go until the final phase of the
entitlement expansion, it is absolutely vital that the government
takes swift and decisive action to ensure that providers are
supported not just to remain open, but to increase capacity to
meet rapidly growing demand. The harsh reality is that if nothing
changes, not only will providers continue to struggle but more
and more families will find it difficult – if not impossible – to
find a place that meets their needs."
