UK Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt has announced plans to extend free childcare to all children under five years old.
The plan will be implemented in stages, with the full extension set to be in place by September 2025.
The new policy will reduce childcare costs for working families by 60%.
The policy covers a number of measures aimed at making childcare more accessible and affordable, including the extension of free childcare for those aged between nine months and two years old.
UK Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt has unveiled a package of childcare policies aimed at transforming the current childcare system and improving women's access to work.
Hunt announced that the 30 hours of free childcare currently available to working parents of three- and four-year-olds will be extended to all children, from nine months old up to five years.
This is part of a £4bn policy designed to boost the workforce and will be fully introduced by September 2025.
The plan will reduce childcare costs for families by nearly 60%.
However, some feel that the implementation date is too far in the future, and the policy will not be useful for many.
The policy on childcare aims to encourage more parents back to work and build a childcare system comparable to the best in the world.
While newspapers like The New Statesman and The Guardian describe the policy as transformative, The Independent reported that some parents felt it was too late and would not be useful to them.
The Telegraph highlights the details of the policy but does not provide as comprehensive an analysis as other sources.
The Metro, while covering important aspects of the policy, notes that the full implementation will not happen until after the next general election.
While there are some criticisms, overall the news of an extension of free childcare provision in the UK has been positively received.