{"primaryDescription":"<h2><strong>Are parents happy with early years childcare? MPs hear evidence on affordability and safeguarding</strong></h2>\r\n<p>The Education Committee will explore parents&rsquo; experience of early years childcare.</p>","secondaryDescription":"<p>The Committee <a href=\"https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9309/early-years-improving-support-for-children-and-families/\">has been investigating</a> the access, affordability and quality of early years provision, among other issues including the safeguarding of children in early years settings.</p>\r\n<p>Witnesses, including the chief executives of online forum Mumsnet and the campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, will give evidence on the challenges families encounter in navigating the early years system in England.</p>\r\n<p>MPs are likely to ask about the affordability of childcare, including whether the government&rsquo;s 30 funded hours are enough to truly cover the costs families face.</p>\r\n<p>They are also likely to explore the role of parents in supporting children to be &ldquo;school ready&rdquo;, with the government pledging to ensure that 75% of children are ready for school by the end of Reception year, as well as parents&rsquo; views of Best Start Hubs.</p>\r\n<p>Committee members will also explore whether parents have confidence in early years safeguarding and whether they feel their safeguarding concerns are taken seriously.</p>","parliamentTvUrl":"https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/91297014-09e2-419a-af9d-47d402c9885f","id":27505,"name":null,"startDate":"2026-06-09T09:30:00","endDate":"2026-06-09T12:30:00","cancelledDate":null,"locationId":13,"location":"Room 6, Palace of Westminster","eventType":{"id":6,"name":"Formal meeting (oral evidence session)","isVisit":false,"description":"Formal meetings may be held in private (for example to consider a draft report) or in public (for example to hear oral evidence), and require a minimum number of members to be present."},"eventSource":"CIS","committees":[{"contact":{"email":"educom@parliament.uk","phone":null,"address":"Education Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA","contactDisclaimer":"We receive a significant number of emails each day. All requests and invitations are considered but we do not respond directly to everyone.\r\nPlease be aware, the committee does not look at individual cases or specific complaints."},"id":203,"name":"Education Committee","parentCommittee":null,"subCommittees":[],"house":"Commons","leadHouse":null,"category":{"id":1,"name":"Select"},"committeeTypes":[{"id":1,"name":"(HC) Public Standing Orders - Departmental","committeeCategory":{"id":1,"name":"Select"}}],"showOnWebsite":true,"websiteLegacyUrl":"https://old.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/","websiteLegacyRedirectEnabled":false,"startDate":"2010-07-13T00:00:00","endDate":null,"dateCommonsAppointed":"2024-10-21T00:00:00","dateLordsAppointed":null,"scrutinisingDepartments":[],"isLeadCommittee":true,"nameHistory":[{"id":198,"committeeId":203,"name":"Education Committee","startDate":"2010-07-13T00:00:00","endDate":null}]}],"committeeBusinesses":[{"id":9309,"title":"Early Years: Improving Support for Children and Families","type":{"id":1,"name":"Inquiry","isInquiry":true,"description":"Inquiries allow committees to consider oral and written evidence on a particular topic. They usually result in the publication of a report."},"openDate":"2026-05-19T00:00:00","closeDate":null,"latestReport":null,"openSubmissionPeriods":[],"closedSubmissionPeriods":[],"nextOralEvidenceSession":null,"contact":{"email":"educom@parliament.uk","phone":null,"address":null,"contactDisclaimer":null}}],"childEvents":[],"nextActivity":null,"activities":[{"committeeBusinesses":[{"id":9309,"title":"Early Years: Improving Support for Children and Families","type":{"id":1,"name":"Inquiry","isInquiry":true,"description":"Inquiries allow committees to consider oral and written evidence on a particular topic. They usually result in the publication of a report."},"openDate":"2026-05-19T00:00:00","closeDate":null,"latestReport":null,"openSubmissionPeriods":[],"closedSubmissionPeriods":[],"nextOralEvidenceSession":null,"contact":{"email":"educom@parliament.uk","phone":null,"address":null,"contactDisclaimer":null}}],"oralEvidences":[],"id":37762,"name":"Early Years: Improving Support for Children and Families","startDate":"2026-06-09T10:00:00","endDate":"2026-06-09T12:30:00","eventId":27505,"isPrivate":false,"activityType":"Oral evidence","attendees":[{"displayOrder":1,"organisations":[{"name":"Early Education and Childcare Coalition","role":"Executive Director","idmsId":null,"cisId":101515}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":35683,"personId":81471,"name":"Sarah Ronan","photoUrl":null,"memberInfo":null},{"displayOrder":2,"organisations":[{"name":"Pregnant Then Screwed","role":"CEO","idmsId":null,"cisId":1602}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":35684,"personId":122469,"name":"Rachel Grocott","photoUrl":null,"memberInfo":null},{"displayOrder":3,"organisations":[{"name":"Mumsnet","role":"founder and CEO","idmsId":"https://id.parliament.uk/umjmZNw5","cisId":57177}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":35685,"personId":122470,"name":"Justine Roberts CBE","photoUrl":null,"memberInfo":null}]}]}