Early years childcare and education for families with No Recourse to Public Funds

September 2023

This briefing sets how out tens of thousands of families with No Recourse to Public Funds in the UK are locked out of most government support with the costs of childcare by their immigration status.

This leaves some parents unable to work or increase their working hours, and therefore struggling to provide for their families. Children who do not attend early years education can face additional layers of disadvantage and may lag behind their peers in developmental terms, which can have lifelong consequences.

The simplest way to ensure that all children living in the UK can access early years education and childcare is the introduction of a fully funded, truly universal childcare system. While this will require a fundamental rethink of the childcare system, in the short term, as it rolls out an expansion of 30 hours of funded childcare for working parents, the Government has a clear opportunity to make sure that all working families can access much needed support with the costs of childcare, regardless of their immigration status. This will ensure that migrant parents are able to work, and their children can access vital early years education.