Funds to provide childcare places

OLDHAM is to benefit from a slice £50m to help provide thousands of new childcare places across the country.

Almost 200 nurseries and pre-schools will receive money to allow them to invest in new buildings, upgrade old ones and improve facilities.

This is expected to create nearly 9,000 new childcare places which will help to deliver a government pledge to offer three and four-year-olds in England 30 hours of free care a week, according to the Department for Education.

More than £2 million of the funding pot is to be invested in the government's six "opportunity areas" - places considered to be falling behind on social mobility.

Along with Oldham, these include Blackpool, Derby, Norwich, Scarborough and West Somerset.

Education Secretary Justine Greening said: "We want Britain to be a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.

"That means removing the barriers facing parents who are struggling to balance their jobs with the cost of childcare, and spreading the opportunities available to hard-working families across the country.

"This funding, backed by our record £6 billion investment in childcare per year by 2020, means we can make more free places available to more families across the country, helping us to deliver our childcare offer to thousands more children."

Under the current system, all three and four-year-olds in England, as well as disadvantaged two-year-olds, are eligible for 15 free hours of childcare a week.

This is due to be doubled to 30 hours nationwide later this year.

Early years groups and experts have raised concerns about the move, warning that nurseries and other childcare providers need more money from government in order to meet the 30 free hours offer.

Labour early years spokeswoman Tulip Siddiq said: "Any additional funding is welcome but this is woefully short of what is needed to deliver the government's underfunded childcare plans.

"The Tories still have no strategy to raise the quality of childcare or ensure the sustainability of childcare providers, who are struggling to deliver their underfunded 30 free hours promise.

"The Tory record on childcare is one of fewer Sure Start centres, rising childcare costs and parents waiting for much-needed support. They are failing hard-working families and it's our children and the economy that will pay the price."