Devon MPs seek assurances on nursery funding

Providers need help with rising costs

A cross-party delegation of MPs from Devon has taken the case for nursery education in the county to the top.

They met the secretary of state for education and the minister for children to discuss the challenges facing nursery provision in the south west.

The meeting followed representations from nursery owners in both Plymouth and Torbay about the challenges they face. 

Torbay’s Conservative MP Kevin Foster and Plymouth Sutton and Devonport Labour MP Luke Pollard headed the push for action on issues affecting the sector in the region, along with Cheryl Hadland, the founder and chair of Tops Day Nurseries, a Dorset-based company that has branches in

Devon, including  in one Babbacombe and several in Plymouth.

The MPs raised issues such as support for training new staff, energy costs, increasing staff wages and business rates.

Following changes announced in the March budget, eligibility for childcare is being expanded significantly over the next two years, with increases in the amount of childcare costs which can be reclaimed under Universal Credit due later this month.

But the delegation stressed that challenges facing local nurseries must be addressed if the sector is to sustain itself and be able to increase capacity to meet the demand for places which will follow the expansion of eligibility.

The two ministers explained how the budget for childcare will increase to £8 billion over the next two years, and that a significant increase in the hourly rate paid to providers is due in September.

They pledged to look at how the system for apprenticeship training supports the childcare sector, and at how commercial childcare providers pay business rates but those based in schools and churches don’t.

Mr Foster said later: “The expansion of eligibility will help many local families, but it is vital the funding package works for providers as well.
“We set out clearly the challenges local nurseries are facing and it was encouraging to have confirmation that further details of funding will be with local providers shortly.”