questionText: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's guidance entitled Early education and childcare (effective from 1 April 2025), published on 21 February 2025, what steps her Department is taking to maintain access to childcare places in rural areas; and what steps she is taking to support childcare providers with operational costs.
answerText: 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 and delivering on our Plan for Change. In the 2025/26 financial year alone, the depa...
heading: Childcare: Rural Areas