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Families at Risk of Missing Out on Free Childcare Due to Limited Local Places

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 childcare freechildcare childcareplaces earlyeducation housingdevelopment somerset villages government community family

Rachel Gilmour, MP for Tiverton and Minehead, has raised alarm over a critical shortage of local nursery spaces that could prevent families from fully benefiting from the government’s expanded free childcare scheme. Launched on 1 September, the scheme doubles the free childcare entitlement for working parents of children under two, from 15 to 30 hours per week across England. The Department for Education highlights that this expansion could save families up to £7,500 per child annually.