UK Government Struggles to Guarantee New Free Childcare Hours

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan admits challenges in fulfilling the childcare pledge due to reliance on thousands of businesses for delivery.

The UK government's plan to expand free childcare from April faces hurdles, with Education Secretary Gillian Keegan unable to guarantee its timely implementation.
Starting April, eligible families can access 15 hours of free childcare for two-year-olds, expanding to 30 hours for children under five by 2025.
Technical issues and staffing shortages have plagued the scheme's rollout, raising concerns among parents and providers.
A £6.5 million recruitment campaign and £1,000 sign-on bonuses for new childcare staff aim to address the staffing crisis.
Labour criticizes the government's inability to guarantee new childcare hours as 'another broken Tory promise.'