The government is offering a cash incentive of £600 to people who look after children (or £1,200 for those who join through an agency).
The Department of Education does not yet have figures on the numbers who have signed up, but says Child care workers overall will grow by 4% in 2023., external However, the number of childminders – who provide early years care in homes – continues to decline.
It added that while the latest Office for National Statistics figures show that the total population of children aged zero to five has declined by 1 per cent annually from 2018 to 2022, between 2018 and 2023 the number of children The number of care locations has increased by 40,000.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said early years had been her “priority from day one” but nursery bosses said Latest Government Funding Rate 2025 will not cover the increased costs and may result in the closure of the nursery.