Hampshire County Council is surveying local childcare providers to make sure there are enough spaces available to meet parents demand following the announcement of a major new investment in childcare announce by the Government. Rolling out from September children aged 9 months to 3 years will receive 15 hours free childcare and then from September 2025 working parents of children under 5 will receive 30 hours free childcare a week, the largest investment in childcare in our history, doubling annual budget from £4bn to £8bn. New measures will also include a £289m extra money to expand wraparound childcare.
Local MP Maria said,
‘’Working parents tell me their biggest worry, especially mums, is how they make work pay when their children are small and childcare costs are so high. 30 hours free childcare a week is a game changer for thousands of Basingstoke families who are working as well as brining up their children. And this work by Hampshire County Council is making sure there are enough places to meet the needs of Basingstoke parents as the Government rolls out for by 2025 30 hours free childcare for working parents, saving families around £6,500 per year.“
This historic expansion in provision will require more childcare spaces and staff. There are currently 4,200 early years places in Basingstoke, and provisional estimates suggest that another 738 places will need to be added by September 2024 to meet increased demand.
Maria said, “Hampshire County Council have assured me that they are surveying providers to understand their readiness, after which they will publish a full implementation strategy that will highlight areas that need expanding. Alongside this they have also implemented a new recruitment plan to promote opportunities in the childcare workforce in order to hire more staff.’’