Political opinion: Keegan pledges free childcare expansion during Lancing visit

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Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has pledged to expand free childcare for all children under five at a visit to Noah's Ark Nursery in Lancing this week. The pledge, which would see thirty hours of free childcare per week for under-fives, has not been matched by the Labour Party.

The commitment was made on a visit with Leila Williams, the Conservative candidate for East Worthing and Shoreham, and comes ahead of the forthcoming General Election due to take place on July 4th

“It was a pleasure to join Leila in Lancing and meet with the staff at Noah’s Ark Nursery,” said Keegan. “Hearing firsthand about the needs and challenges in supporting our youngest children reinforces our commitment to delivering 30 hours of free childcare per week for the under-fives. This measure is crucial to helping hardworking families and securing a brighter future for all our children.”

Leila Williams, who is campaigning for the East Worthing and Shoreham seat, emphasised what this commitment means to parents, drawing on her own personal experience. “As a local mum with a child in nursery, I was especially delighted to welcome Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to Lancing’s Noah’s Ark nursery to discuss the importance of our plan to deliver 30 hours of free childcare per week for under-fives. This scheme is crucial in making work pay for working parents across the country, and Labour has yet to confirm that they will continue it.”

Alison Power, Nursery Director at Noah’s Ark, highlighted the positive impact of the proposed extended funding. “The visit from Gillian and Leila enabled us to discuss how the rollout of extended funding for working families has helped parents by reducing their nursery fees. It has also provided parents on maternity or paternity leave with more flexibility on when they return to work. We also discussed the impact on Early Years settings, ensuring they can provide necessary services while remaining financially viable.”

The visit to Noah’s Ark Nursery was intended to reflect the Conservative Party's promise to parents: to support working families and ensure quality early childhood education.