Response to Liberal Democrat manifesto commitment to early years and childcare

  • 10 June 2024

In response to the Liberal Democrats’ manifesto commitment to early years and childcare, Lydia Hodges, Head of Coram Family and Childcare, said:

The Liberal Democrat manifesto commitment to early years and childcare is a welcome recognition of the importance of getting things right in the early years. We have been calling for Early Years Pupil Premium to be brought in line with Primary Pupil Premium, and this proposed increase would be a good first step to making sure disadvantaged children do not miss out on their right to an early education.

The steep decline in childcare availability identified by our annual Childcare Survey was most marked for disabled children, so we welcome the plans to include a specific SEND emphasis in early years staff training and the development of a career strategy to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the workforce.

We continue to call on all political parties to commit to reforming our childcare system so all children can access the early years education they need to thrive, and all parents can make meaningful choices about work and care.

Notes to Editors    

For more information, please contact Emma Lamberton, Communications Manager, Coram at emma.lamberton@coram.org.uk / 0207 520 0427 / 07908 827908. For our latest research on childcare availability, costs and barriers to successful delivery of the expansion of funded childcare, see our Childcare Survey 2024.

About Coram Family and Childcare

Coram Family and Childcare works to make the UK a better place for families by bringing together what we learn from our on the ground parent-led programmes and our research to campaign for solutions that parents want and need. We focus on childcare and early years to make a difference to families’ lives now and in the long term. Before August 2018, we were known as the Family and Childcare Trust.

For more information, please visit:

About Coram

Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity, supporting children to have the best possible chance in life since 1739. We work as a group of specialist organisations helping more than a million children, young people, families and professionals every year.

We support children and young people from their earliest days to independence, creating a change that lasts a lifetime. We help build their confidence; we help them to develop skills; we uphold their rights, we support practitioners in the areas of fostering and adoption and we find loving adoptive families for the most vulnerable children.

We work in over 2,000 schools supporting nearly half a million children, run London’s largest Regional Adoption Agency and provide free legal advice for thousands of children and families who need it every year.

For more information, please visit:

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