Fewer than half of nurseries in England say they are likely to offer the 30-hour funded childcare places, the National Day Nurseries Association has found.
Data provided by 500 private and voluntary nurseries in England for the NDNA’s annual survey showed the majority are still unsure about the extra hours.
Forty-five per cent said they were ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ to be involved.
A quarter said they are ‘unlikely’ or ‘very unlikely’ to increase funded places, citing inadequate funding and space.
Source: NDNA
Most nurseries are still struggling to cover the costs of the 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, with an average funding shortfall of £34,000 a year, the survey revealed. Eighty-nine per cent of nurseries are ‘making a loss’ on these places, so doubling the entitlement could be a step too far for many.
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