"Childcare Crisis: A System in Shambles"
A childcare system's promise to transform lives, Falls short, with hurdles still to survive.
In England's land of hope and dreams,
A childcare system was to beam,
Free hours for all, a promise grand,
To transform lives of working hands.
A childcare system was to beam,
Free hours for all, a promise grand,
To transform lives of working hands.
Jeremy Hunt spoke with words so bright,
A beacon of hope for parents in plight,
£15,000 a year, a heavy toll,
The system was to make their hearts whole.
A beacon of hope for parents in plight,
£15,000 a year, a heavy toll,
The system was to make their hearts whole.
But two years on, the rollout's pace,
Has left many parents in a troubled space,
Nursery places scarce, a growing fear,
A gap between the haves and the have-nots, drawing near.
Has left many parents in a troubled space,
Nursery places scarce, a growing fear,
A gap between the haves and the have-nots, drawing near.
In Doncaster, a "childcare desert" lies,
17 places for every 100 children's cries,
Jordan Parker's daughter, Riley so dear,
Gets one day a week, but finding a place draws a tear.
17 places for every 100 children's cries,
Jordan Parker's daughter, Riley so dear,
Gets one day a week, but finding a place draws a tear.
Olena Mykhaylyk, a mother so bold,
Put her daughter on the list, months before she was told,
"It's crazy, you have to think ahead",
But the funded hours, a godsend, are not always fed.
Put her daughter on the list, months before she was told,
"It's crazy, you have to think ahead",
But the funded hours, a godsend, are not always fed.
Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary's voice,
Concedes that parents may not get their first choice,
The system's strain, a challenge so real,
The government's promise, a goal to reveal.
Concedes that parents may not get their first choice,
The system's strain, a challenge so real,
The government's promise, a goal to reveal.
Analysis by IFS, a think tank so wise,
Says the school-based provision, a glimmer of hope, it implies,
But the gap between the eligible and not,
A widening chasm, a problem to be caught.
Says the school-based provision, a glimmer of hope, it implies,
But the gap between the eligible and not,
A widening chasm, a problem to be caught.
The Department for Education, a solution to seek,
1,200 schools, a number to speak,
But still short of the number needed, a test,
The system's strain, a challenge to be guessed.
1,200 schools, a number to speak,
But still short of the number needed, a test,
The system's strain, a challenge to be guessed.
Avnee Morjaria, a voice so clear,
The school-based nursery programme, a glimmer of hope, she holds dear,
But for now, the system's reliance on private care,
A problem to be solved, with no clear repair.
The school-based nursery programme, a glimmer of hope, she holds dear,
But for now, the system's reliance on private care,
A problem to be solved, with no clear repair.
The cost of childcare, a burden so high,
£20,000 a year, a price to ask why,
David from London, a father so worn,
A bursary from the NHS, a help, but not enough to be born.
£20,000 a year, a price to ask why,
David from London, a father so worn,
A bursary from the NHS, a help, but not enough to be born.
Coram Family and Childcare's report, a warning so true,
Families not eligible, paying more, a problem anew,
The government's ambition, a goal to achieve,
But the system's strain, a challenge to retrieve.
Families not eligible, paying more, a problem anew,
The government's ambition, a goal to achieve,
But the system's strain, a challenge to retrieve.
The poorest children, a group so at risk,
15 hours a week, a free childcare fix,
But the gap between the haves and have-nots, a problem so grand,
A challenge to be solved, with no clear plan.
15 hours a week, a free childcare fix,
But the gap between the haves and have-nots, a problem so grand,
A challenge to be solved, with no clear plan.
The Meadows Nursery, a haven so bright,
A joint venture, a solution to the plight,
Claire Carroll, a voice so bold,
A private nursery, a venture so cold.
A joint venture, a solution to the plight,
Claire Carroll, a voice so bold,
A private nursery, a venture so cold.
The DfE's announcement, a boost so grand,
The early years pupil premium, a help to expand,
But the system's strain, a challenge so real,
A problem to be solved, with no clear feel.
The early years pupil premium, a help to expand,
But the system's strain, a challenge so real,
A problem to be solved, with no clear feel.
The government's dual aims, a goal to achieve,
Growth and child development, a challenge to retrieve,
Farquharson's warning, a risk so true,
Unintended consequences, a problem to break through.
Growth and child development, a challenge to retrieve,
Farquharson's warning, a risk so true,
Unintended consequences, a problem to break through.