A charity has warned that parents are struggling to access the government's new free childcare scheme for two-year-olds, with only 11% of those surveyed successfully obtaining their codes. Pregnant Then Screwed (PTS) said the rollout has left families confused and frustrated, as many face technical issues and a lack of provider participation.
According to a survey of 6,000 parents, 17% said they simply do not understand how the scheme works, while nearly half reported difficulty finding a childcare setting that would accept the new codes from April 1. Some parents described being trapped in an endless loop on the government website or receiving incorrect advice from the childcare helpline.
The charity noted that many parents cannot apply for their codes until their reconfirmation window opens, which for some is just days before the scheme starts or even after April 1. This means thousands of families could be left out of pocket, through no fault of their own, when the scheme begins.
Some childcare providers have opted out of the scheme entirely, citing underfunding. Georgina, a mother of three from Northamptonshire, said her nursery dropped the bombshell in January that it would not participate, leaving her facing monthly childcare costs of nearly £2,000, compared to a mortgage of £1,300.
Joeli Brearley, CEO of Pregnant Then Screwed, said the charity has been inundated with messages from frantic parents. She criticised the government's execution, saying it feels like schemes are drafted without proper consideration for the end user. A government spokesperson insisted the system is working as intended, with thousands of parents applying every day, and assured that codes applied for by the end of March can be processed after April 1 if necessary.
