Leigh and Atherton MP – Jo Platt – visited Little Rainbows in Leigh, to attend a roundtable to discuss the pressure the industry is facing.
Little Rainbows cares for children aged 3 months to five years. It is ran by St. Bede’s Childcare Ltd, which has six settings across Leigh, Wigan and Bolton.
During the meeting, Little Rainbows expressed its concerns surrounding the new funding changes, which come into force in September, as well as the poverty they are seeing within the community.
Jo Platt said: “It was great to meet the amazing staff at Little Rainbows to discuss how I can support the fantastic work they do – serving our community – by providing a safe and nurturing environment for children.
“High-quality childcare and early education are vital in transforming life chances for children, but too often, they are inaccessible or unaffordable. That is why I support the Government’s commitment to invest in early education, and ensure we continue to progress towards our target of a record number of children starting school ready to learn.”
In the Autumn Budget, it was announced that over £8 billion would be invested in the early years to ensure parents could claim 30 hours of Government-funded childcare per week, an increase of more than 30% from financial year 2024/25. This increased investment reflects forecasts on average earnings, inflation, and increases to the National Living Wage.
Further support is being provided through the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, which is increasing by over 45% compared to financial year 2024/25. This is the equivalent of up to £570 per eligible child for the year. The Government is also providing additional supplementary funding, to the value of £75 million, for the Early Years Expansion Grant which can be used to help secure childcare entitlements for parents.
As well as this, the Government will be providing an extra £25 million to public sector early years employers through the National Insurance contributions grant.
Little Rainbows has two sites in the Leigh and Atherton constituency.