Parents using Government-funded free childcare cannot be required to pay top-up fees for items such as nappies and snacks, according to new guidance.
Starting in January 2026, providers will also be required to set out any chargeable extras on their websites to improve transparency, the Department for Education says.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the move would help make the early years system ‘accessible for parents’ and ‘sustainable for providers’.
Cllr Arooj Shah, chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, welcomed the news.
‘We know that charging for consumables has made access to places more difficult for some families, with complex guidance making it difficult for councils to effectively challenge providers in this area. It is extremely helpful that guidance is now being clarified,’ she said.
However, early years providers are critical of the new guidance, with Purnima Tanuku CBE, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), warning the move ‘could seriously threaten sustainability.’
