At a time when many household incomes are under severe pressure, there are challenges in the accessibility, affordability and quality of childcare provision. Inequalities in access and complexities of needs have been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, with vulnerable families with children, especially those with special education needs, most likely to miss out on support.
Discussion focused on how funding and provision can be built in such a way that those with the highest needs are targeted first and will benefit the most. To enable this to happen, a ‘wholesale review’ of the system could usefully begin by looking much more carefully at a funding system that supports quality of provision across a range of different dimensions.
