Gillian Keegan said she believed there will be enough childcare places to keep up with demand as the Government rolls out the first phase of a major expansion.
The Education Secretary said she was “very confident” that eligible parents who take up the offer of free childcare “will be able to get those places”.
Working parents of two-year-olds are now able to access 15 hours a week of Government-funded childcare from this month.
A further expansion will mean that by September 2025 parents will be able to access 30 hours from the end of maternity leave to when their child starts school.
But there have been major question marks over whether the childcare sector would have the capacity to meet demand, amid fears of staff shortages.
Ms Keegan told Times Radio this morning: “A lot of what you hear, a lot of the comments, are from prior to this new roll out, prior to the new funding and also we have secured the funding for the next two years in the Budget which was also an ask of the sector.
“But I am very confident in the sector, very confident that those people who want places this week, when they take advantage of this offer, will be able to get those places.”
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