Parents could have to provide lunch for their young children at nurseries as part of the government's free childcare initiative, education minister Baroness Jacqui Smith has said.
Children aged nine months and older can get 15 hours of government-funded childcare a week from this Monday, for those parents and carers who are eligible.
But questions have been raised around how "free" the hours actually are, with nurseries reporting having to subsidise shortfalls in funding by charging extra for lunches, nappies and outings that would normally have been included in fees.
Some nurseries have also increased fees above the usual annual rises so those who do not qualify for the free hours are essentially subsidising those who are eligible.
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Baroness Smith said where providers feel they need to charge extra for food, parents could choose to bring in their child's own lunch instead.
She told Sky News: "What we've been very clear about in our guidance is where providers feel that they need to charge for food, for example, or for nappies within the government-funded childcare hours, that has to be something that is optional, so parents need to be able to provide their own nappies or provide the lunch themselves.
"But I do take the point that there is a real challenge for early years providers in delivering this big ramping up of provision.
"It is a very good thing, it's a very good thing for children, and it's a very good thing for parents in terms of their work choices.
"But it is something where we need to continue working very hard alongside the providers, and we will do over the next year to make sure that we've got those 85,000 extra places and the 40,000 extra staff that will be necessary in order to enable us to get at least close to that to that entitlement next year."
Many nurseries already ask parents to provide nappies but lunches are generally included to make it easier for staff to give young children food altogether and because of allergy concerns.
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Chief executive officer of the Early Years Alliance Neil Leitch said the places weren't "free" as providers are having to subsidise the shortfall.
"They're having to charge for extras, for lunches that they wouldn't normally charge for in terms of fees," he told Sky News.
"They're having to charge for outings, they're having to charge for nappies, they are having to charge parents who do not qualify for the so-called free entitlement at a higher rate to cross the shortfall."
Parents of three and four year olds have been able to get 30 hours of free childcare a week since 2017.
From September 2025, the scheme, introduced by the previous Conservative government, will increase to 30 hours free childcare for nine month olds and older.
There are concerns there will not be enough staff to cope with more children needing childcare, with more parents able to work under the scheme.
Baroness Smith said there is a "big problem" as she accused the Conservative administration of announcing the scheme without a plan to deliver it.
She said 85,000 more childcare places will be needed, which could get 40,000 more people into work.
"It's going to be tough but we are determined to do our absolute best to actually make this a reality because it is such an important part of our overall plans to make sure that early education fits alongside schools and childcare in order to give children the very best start in life," she said.
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Tap hereBaroness Smith added the government has already started a publicity campaign to recruit staff and have introduced a new T-level in early years education "that is doing very well".
Parents and carers are eligible for the free childcare hours if both are working and earn less than £100,000 a year.
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