Parents are subsidising a new flagship "free" nursery scheme for three- and four-year-olds in England from their own pockets, a survey suggests.
Nurseries are making up losses by upping fees for younger children and charging for meals and nappies, a survey of 1,662 providers suggests. The survey, by the Pre-School Learning Alliance, suggests only a third are delivering the hours totally free. The government says it is investing £6bn in childcare by 2020. It added that any charges to parents on the scheme must be voluntary. The poll of nurseries, pre-schools and childminders is the first to be carried out since the 30-hour free childcare scheme came into effect in September, and has been shared exclusively with the BBC.
Families where both parents are working more than 16 hours a week, but earning under £100,000 each, qualify for the scheme. It expands the number of free hours childcare for this age group from 15 a week.
source: www.bbc.com
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