Written questions

Pre-school Education: Staff

Lords · Question HL13652 · Tabled 16 Jan 2026 · Department for Education · Official record

Answered 30 Jan 2026

Question

Asked by Lord Bird

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve recruitment and retention in the early years’ workforce; and what assessment they have made of any contribution that stable staffing makes to reliable and consistent childcare for singl

Answer

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern, 30 Jan 2026

The Best Start in Life Strategy lays the foundation for long-term improvements to recruitment and retention in the early years sector. Initiatives to improve recruitment and retention include the ‘Do something BIG’ recruitment campaign, financial incentiv...