It was great to visit St Bees Little Learners Nursery in Cumbria. It was fun and informative to join in with some outdoor learning activities and a sing along with local MP Trudy Harrison on the piano! What a lovely family run Early Years setting.
I recognise that for many parents, being able to afford good-quality childcare is essential to working and supporting their families. We have allocated new funding of £208 million by 2024-25 including £170 million by 2024-25 to increase the hourly rate to be paid to early years providers to deliver the Government's free hours offers. This builds on the £44 million increase that was confirmed at the last Spending Review. Further, it includes £18 million in 2024-25 to create a network of family hubs to improve access to services for families, and £20 million in 2024-25 for parenting support.
In addition, as Minister for Children and Families, I have reaffirmed £150 million in funding for the training of early years staff to support children's learning and development, as part of the £1.4 billion announced in June 2021 to help children catch up on lost learning due to the pandemic.