New research reveals barriers to take-up of early education entitlements for disadvantaged children

Confusion about the different childcare entitlements, and difficulties with the application process and restrictions on how funded hours can be accessed, as well as additional charges to access them, all make it more challenging for parents to navigate the system. Weak guidance from central government means that local councils do not have the levers needed to challenge such practices and ensure that funded provision is genuinely free and inclusive for families who need it most.

The study identified where local action can change this picture for disadvantaged families. It found that take-up is higher where councils make early education a key priority for children’s outcomes and wellbeing, and where they have a relentless focus on removing barriers to take-up among disadvantaged families. In-house Family Information Services with enough resources and the right skills to give tailored support to families, including home visits, are important, along with the support of other professionals in families’ lives, like health visitors.

There is consistent evidence about the benefit of early education in children’s development, and the 15-hours funded early education entitlement for all three-to-four-year-olds and disadvantaged two-year-olds in England was introduced to support children’s development and reduce inequalities in participation in early education. While the take-up of early education has risen considerably since the introduction of this policy, a substantial minority of children, especially disadvantaged children, are still missing out on their 15 hours entitlement.

This new study explores why some families do not take up their entitlements, and sets out actions that can be taken to increase take-up and reduce inequalities in participation in early education. The study included an extensive programme of research using national data and interviews with local authority early years staff, parents, and early education providers*.

Key findings include:

• Parents find the different entitlements confusing and difficult to navigate. Councils say lengthy application processes and complex systems make accessing funded childcare difficult for parents, particularly those with English as an additional language or with low literacy or digital skills. This complexity for families is mirrored by the experiences of childcare providers, who speak of significant time spent administering the entitlements.
• The additional childcare entitlements for working families (which are being expanded in a phased roll-out) have complicated the picture further, with conflicting and confusing messages to parents about eligibility and the purpose of different entitlements, as well as adding to the administrative burden for providers.
• There is ongoing concern from childcare providers about the adequacy of funding for the 3-4-year-old entitlement, and inadequate funding to support disadvantaged children, particularly those with special education needs and disabilities (SEND).
• Weak regulation of the delivery of funded hours has triggered responses from providers which create further barriers to take-up, such as constraining the number and structure of funded places offered, and asking parents to pay additional charges. A two-tier system of provision is emerging in some cases, which, at its most extreme, is inferior and stigmatising for parents using the disadvantaged two-year-old entitlement.

Lydia Hodges, Head of Coram Family and Childcare, said: “At a time when childcare seems to rarely be out of the spotlight, these findings show that children who may benefit the most from early education are often missing out. But the study also shows that need not be the case – local councils can and do make a real difference in many areas. There’s excellent practice to learn from.

“There are national lessons to be learned too. Right now, disadvantaged children are entitled to only half the hours of funded early education that children with working parents get, and at a later age. We have to ask ourselves if this is what we want for our children. Childcare is important for enabling families to work, but going to nursery isn’t just about childcare, it’s early education too. The Government has recognised that in their commitment to breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child, and their ambition to boost the number of children reaching their early learning goals. To do that, the funded entitlement must be accessible to all children.”

Eleanor Ireland, Education Programme Head at the Nuffield Foundation said: “This study provides important insights into why some families, particularly those experiencing disadvantage, don’t take up their early education entitlements, and what local authorities and the Department for Education can do to improve take-up. It makes important recommendations for changes to the way the policy is designed and delivered to reduce inequalities in access to early education, which are vital in the context of the expanding childcare entitlements for working families.”

To support higher take-up of the 15-hours entitlement, the report recommends national policy changes:

• A ‘fair’ funding model that fully covers the costs of delivering funded hours, including the resources required to support children with SEND and other disadvantaged groups.
• The above should go hand in hand with strengthening guidance, and supporting LAs to ensure that the 15 hours are genuinely free for families and admissions are inclusive.
• Recognising the key role local authorities can play in ensuring that children who can benefit the most from early education, access the 15-hours entitlement, with separate, dedicated funding to deliver the policy locally.
• A universal entitlement to 15 hours of funded early education for two-year-olds, which would reduce confusion amongst parents of 2-year-olds regarding eligibility, and reduce the administrative burden for providers and parents, likely boosting participation among disadvantaged children.

And suggests the following local actions:

• Greater use of tailored one-to-one support to families who face more barriers, particularly home visits, which were found to make a difference.
• Making early education entitlement ‘conversations’ a routine part of the work of all family-facing professionals.
• Collecting detailed, up-to-date information on local places available to meet different needs, to more actively manage the supply of funded provision, and to ensure there is sufficient inclusive provision available.

Read the full report