30 hours of free childcare for every child over the age of 9 months

The announcement comes amid ongoing concerns about the cost of childcare (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Jeremy Hunt has used his very first Budget to extend free childcare provision to all children over nine months to get ‘more than one million women back to work’.

Announcements on energy support and pensions allowances formed part of what has been dubbed the ‘back to work’ spending package unveiled in the Commons this afternoon.

Among them is a multi-billion pound boost to parents, which has been described by some as ‘almost life-changing’.

The current provision of up to 30 hours a week of funded childcare in England for families with three and four-year-olds has now been extended to also cover one- and two-year-olds.

The chancellor leaving Downing Street to present his spring Budget (Picture: Getty)

But there are concerns about whether the chancellor’s plan is actually deliverable.

Joeli Brearley, CEO of Pregnant Then Screwed, a group that has been campaigning for investment in the childcare sector for almost a decade, welcomed the move.

But she stressed that the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has estimated that to do what the government is planning costs £8.9 billion, not £4 billion.

‘We need to see the detail as to how this money is being distributed,’ the founder said.

‘Reports suggest they will also give £288 million to make up the shortfall for the current free hours entitlement for three and four-year-olds – that is not enough.

‘It will not make up that shortfall and we are concerned the quality of early years education will deteriorate, more providers will close and childcare professionals will leave the sector.

‘It is great we will have these new free hours but it will not work if parents cannot secure a place.

‘We are also concerned about increased ratios, there is no evidence that it will cut costs, but there is evidence that it will reduce quality.

‘The first five years of a child’s life are foundational to their future and so we will pay for this further down the line.’

Pressure has been mounting on the government to act on childcare, which is seen to be among the most expensive in the world.

Meanwhile, Labour promised to completely overhaul the British system, labelling it ‘broken’.

Alison McGovern, the shadow employment minister, said that any announcement on childcare needed to be part of a ‘proper reform strategy’.

But some parents like Nora Parr have called the government’s boost ‘exhilarating’.

The part-time academic based in Hornsey, north London, said she and her partner pay £1,040 a month for four half-days of nursery a week for their 16-month-old daughter.

‘We could apply for a mortgage, I could work more. I pick up the baby after lunch and finish work during her nap, every minute of childcare is spent on working hours,’ she said.

‘I could have five minutes to myself. The nursery is brilliant, but it takes a big part of our budget.

‘The change to our finances would be almost life-changing. This would save us £1,000+ a month.’

Nursery providers have raised concerns about underfunding, complaining about the lack of government investment.

Currently, all families of three and four-years-old qualify for 15 hours of free care a week, over 38 weeks.

To qualify for 30 hours, parents have to earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the national minimum or living wage.

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Childcare in England is seen to be among the most expensive in the world.