Childcare: Finance
Lords · Question HL14922 · Tabled 26 Feb 2026 · Department for Education · Official record
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Question
Asked by Lord Bird
To ask His Majesty's Government how many local authority areas currently have a shortfall of funded places for 30 hours of free child care to meet local demand; what is the average reported waiting list time in months for a full-time funded place in the t
Answer
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern, 12 Mar 2026
In 2026/27, we expect to provide over £9.5 billion for the early years' entitlements. This will more than double annual public investment in the early years sector compared to 2023/24, as we have successfully rolled out the expansion of government funded ...