The government’s expansion of its childcare scheme risks not living up to expectations – a charity is warning this week. The availability of places, says Coram, has worsened with many nurseries and childminders already at capacity and councils not convinced provision can entirely meet demand. Alongside that lack of provision – fees and costs are rising for parents and settings are struggling to recruit. Unveiled to much fanfare last year, Rishi Sunak’s flagship policy pledged that by September 2025 most working families with children under five would be entitled to 30 hours of funded childcare…
