Written question asked by Dan Aldridge (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 April 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 16 April 2026. It was answered by Olivia Bailey (Labour) on Wednesday, 29 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Nurseries

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has any guidance around restrictions being placed by nurseries on hours during which government funded childcare hours can be accessed, such as limiting provision to specific times of the day.

Answer

The ‘Early Education and Childcare’ statutory guidance states that local authorities should encourage providers to offer flexible packages of free hours, which will enable children to access regular, high-quality provision, while maximising flexibility for parents and ensuring a degree of stability for providers.

Local authorities should enable parents to take up their child’s free place in patterns of hours that stretch their child’s entitlement by taking fewer hours a week over more weeks of the year, where there is provider capacity and parental demand.

Additionally, local authorities should ensure that parents and providers are aware that there is no requirement that free places must be taken on, or delivered on, particular days of the week or at particular times of the day.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 127373
Session: 2024-26
Subjects: Childcare Finance Nurseries
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Nurseries

Secondary information

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