Discover The Truth Behind Government Funding.
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The Promise vs The Reality
When the government announced 30 hours of free childcare for children as young as nine months, parents thought this was the breakthrough. Finally — support during the most expensive years.
But when the invoices arrived, many parents realised the bills hadn’t disappeared. In some cases, they barely changed at all.
“If Its free, why am i still paying hundreds each month?
a question thousands of parents are asking.
The “Free Daffodil” Analogy
The government promised free daffodils. Instead, families got bulbs.
A bulb has potential, but without soil, water, and sunlight, it never becomes a flower. Some parents can only afford the storage option — bulbs kept alive but never blossoming. Others invest more and watch their daffodils bloom bright and strong.
This is what’s happening in childcare. The government funding only covers the bulb. Parents are left paying for the rest — the care, the nourishment, the growth.
The Real Impact On Children
This isn’t just about parental budgets. It’s about the quality of children’s early years.
When funding falls short, children lose out:
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Fewer staff = less individual attention
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Meals cut back or charged as extras
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Enriching approaches (Montessori, Forest School, Steiner, Reggio Emilia) can’t survive
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Some nurseries and childminders close altogether, leaving families stranded
Research shows every £1 invested in early childhood education brings £4–£13 in long-term benefits.
about our organisation
‘Free Childcare: The Untold Story’ is a national awareness campaign launched by nursery owners, early years professionals, and advocates who are speaking out about the unspoken reality behind so-called ‘free’ childcare in the UK.
While politicians promise families 15 or 30 ‘free’ hours a week, the truth is these hours are not truly funded, not to a level that allows nurseries, preschools and childminders to survive, pay fair wages, or offer the high-quality care children deserve.
This campaign is borne out of frustration, heartbreak, and urgency. Every day, more and more nurseries, preschools and childminders are being pushed to the brink. Dedicated providers are closing their doors—not due to poor management, but because they simply cannot afford to stay open under the current system. At the same time, families are left in confusion, believing they are entitled to a fully funded service, when in fact the funding doesn’t cover basic costs like food, staffing, equipment, or premises.
What We’re Fighting For
Transparency — We want families to understand what ‘free’ childcare really means.
Fair Funding — We’re calling on the government to fund early years provision properly.
Respect for Providers — Nursery/preschool staff, childminders, managers, and owners deserve dignity, support, and recognition—not blame.
A Sustainable Sector — Without change, there may soon be no one left to provide the care our children need.
Why It Matters
This isn’t just about early years settings. It’s about the future of children, families, and the UK workforce. High-quality early years care is vital to child development, social mobility, and the economy. But it is being slowly dismantled by a system that refuses to value it.
We’re telling the untold story—not to blame, but to build bridges between providers and parents, and to push for policy that actually works.
It’s not ‘free’ hours every week if it’s only funded 38 weeks a year !
In real terms, it is 22 hrs per week over a whole year.
Nurseries, childminders and preschools are businesses.
They have to pay all normal business costs and taxes, including rent, rates, utilities, insurance, and staff wages.
It’s not free it’s underfunded
To date, despite hundreds / thousands of letters, messages, MP meetings, radio interviews, tv interviews, the government have never listened – No matter which government has been in power.
Parents have been misled since 2017.
All childcare providers receive funding that does not match the true cost of delivery.
Local councils control how this money is shared out. Each council is different, and the majority take a portion of the funding to cover internal administrative costs before passing it on – something not permitted by childcare providers themselves who are expected to cover all administration costs without using ANY of the funding.
School nurseries are able to access additional funding pots to facilitate teacher pay and pensions as well as being able to claim back all National Insurance contributions. Private nurseries are not able to match these pay scales, pensions or NI, creating a huge disparity across the sector.
Most nurseries, childminders and pre-schools have very high running costs and cannot provide childcare at the funded rate without charging extra fees to cover the shortfall.
What Needs to Change?
To make childcare truly work for children and families, we need:
Fair funding across all counties – so postcode doesn’t decide opportunity.
Recognition of quality – not just hours, but what actually happens in them.
Proper pay for staff – our children’s first educators deserve respect and fair wages.
Children at the heart – policies designed for their needs, not just political headlines.
Fairy Tales of Free Childcare
These fairy tales are inspired by real-world challenges in childcare —blending humour, heart, and advocacy to bring important issues to life.
Resources:
Learn about the Childcare Crisis UK
The Childcare Funding Crisis
Underfunded and Overstretched:
The Childcare Recruitment Crisis
The Disappearing Workforce
The SEN Childcare Crisis
When ‘Free Childcare’ Doesn’t Include Every Child
More Than Hours. It’s About Their Future.
Parents were promised free childcare, but what we’ve been given is underfunded hours and confused families.
Children deserve better. They deserve care, nourishment, and opportunities that help them grow — not a system that stores them until parents finish work.
Because at the heart of this debate, it isn’t really about budgets or hours.
It’s about our children.
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