A call has been made by the Education Secretary for a fresh examination of undisclosed nursery fees following complaints from some parents about being charged to access Government-funded hours. The provision of up to 30 hours of free childcare per week has been extended, but certain parents are reporting mandatory charges to access this assistance.
Childcare providers have the option to levy additional fees for services like meals, snacks, nappies, and extra activities, but these charges should not be obligatory or a prerequisite for utilizing a funded spot. Authorities have the power to take action against childcare providers found to be in violation of these regulations.
Seventy-two percent of parents are using savings to cover supplementary costs, with cost cited as the primary obstacle to securing childcare by over a quarter of respondents. Bridget Phillipson has reached out to the independent Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to request an investigation into the matter.
In addition, the government has introduced a new tool to aid parents in locating local childcare services, with a pilot launch in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset preceding a nationwide rollout later in the year.
Phillipson emphasized the financial relief that 30 hours of funded childcare can bring to families, saving an average of £8,000 per child annually. She stressed the importance of nurseries and childminders in delivering this support while expressing zero tolerance for those few who fail to fulfill their promises to families.
Since September 2025, families with children aged nine months to four years have been eligible for 30 hours of free childcare weekly. Specific earnings criteria apply for children between nine months and two years old, while all parents of three and four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare weekly. Working parents can access the full 30 hours if they meet the income requirements, with over 500,000 families estimated to benefit from funded hours according to the Department for Education (DfE).
