Labour’s plan for childcare and early education

Labour’s plan for childcare and early education

The Tories have broken childcare, so Labour will fix it.  Labour has a clear plan for childcare and early education, giving every child life chances and every parent work choices. 

Because after 14 years, all our children deserve better than a promise the Chancellor made, which even he won’t guarantee – a Tory pledge without a plan that risks crashing the childcare system, like Liz Truss crashed the economy. That’s why Labour will ensure the hours that parents have been promised are delivered. 

Labour’s plan has been built by learning from how childcare works the world over, from Ireland to Australia. It stretches from the end of parental leave to the end of primary school, because every parent knows that childcare costs don’t end when children start school.

Labour is determined to deliver not just more childcare, but better childcare and early education – for the best start to every life.

With Labour: 

Childcare will be available and accessible

  • Over three thousand new nursery classes across England to open up access to childcare hours for families. Spare school classrooms will be converted into high quality spaces for nurseries, paid for by ending the tax breaks private schools enjoy. 
  • Labour Lords have already ended the outdated restrictions preventing councils offering childcare themselves.

Childcare will support our children to achieve and thrive

  • Labour will deliver half a million more children hitting the Early Learning Goals by 2030.
  • Labour will bring a new focus on supporting language skills and maths learning right from the start.
  • Labour will support staff working in childcare & early education so they are recognised for the skilled and important work they are doing.
  • Labour has commissioned Sir David Bell, former chief inspector of Ofsted, to look at how we can drive up standards in childcare in England.

Childcare will be affordable

  • Labour will deliver the enhanced entitlements the government have offered, saving thousands of pounds a year for working families.
  • Labour will support three quarters of a million more parents to re-enter the labour market. 

Childcare won’t end when children start school

  • Labour will provide free breakfast clubs in every primary school in England, paid for by ending tax loopholes and clamping down on tax evasion.
  • Breakfast clubs drive up attendance and standards and improve behaviour and attainment, because it’s about the club not just the breakfast.
  • We’ll give parents choices for an earlier start to the working day – helping families to get on not just get by.

We want to work with you to deliver a Labour Government so we can make this plan a reality.

If you work in education and support the Labour Party, we’d love you to join us – fill in the form below to be kept in the loop about education related events and announcements.