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Written question asked by James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 15 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 19 January 2026. It was answered by Olivia Bailey (Labour) on Friday, 23 January 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Childminding: East Sussex

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support the financial sustainability of childminding roles in (a) East Sussex and (b) Lewes constituency.

Answer

It is the department’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life.

From April 2026, local authorities will be required to pass at least 97% of their funding directly to providers, an increase from 96%. We will work with local authorities and others to ensure that, where they want to, childminders and other early years providers are paid monthly for the funded hours they provide, making their income more stable. Childminders, who often care for children of different ages, can use the funding they receive to support costs across all the children they look after. We expect this will also bring increased demand for childminder places, providing new opportunities for growth.

From 1 November 2024, the government introduced new flexibilities to help childminders join and stay in the profession, supporting the government’s commitment to roll out expanded childcare entitlements and give children the best start in life.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
106238
Session
2024-26
Related items
Giving every child the best start in life
Monday, 7 July 2025
Command papers
House of Commons
House of Lords
Subjects
Childminding Finance East Sussex Lewes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk