Nurseries could struggle to meet demand due to staff shortages as free childcare is rolled out today, a report has warned.
Low pay is one of the biggest barriers to recruitment, with nursery workers earning only slightly more than minimum wage, according to The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).
Although growth in staff numbers is 'on track' to meet government targets, the report said this 'may not necessarily continue'.
It comes as working parents of children older than nine months today become eligible to access 30 hours a week of free childcare – up from 15 hours.
Jack Worth, NFER education workforce lead, said it was critical to address the sector's workforce challenges 'to ensure it can meet the demands of the expanded free childcare entitlement'.
