This event took place on Monday 26th September.

The UK is facing a childcare crisis. Families increasingly struggle to meet the costs of care and early years providers are battling to keep workers from leaving the sector. Access to high-quality early years education (0-5 years) plays a vital role in narrowing the outcome gap between children growing up in deprivation and their more affluent peers, in addition to allowing more caregivers to return to work.

In partnership with Demos, we brought together industry experts at the Labour Party Conference to discuss big ideas for a broken sector. Is universal childcare the answer? Do we need market disruption? How do we guarantee quality of service and affordability for caregivers at the same time?

Chair

• Polly Curtis, Chief Executive, Demos

Speakers

• Ravi Gurumurthy, CEO, Nesta
• Stella Creasy MP for Walthamstow
• Tulip Siddiq MP for Hampstead and Kilburn and Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury
• Helen Hayes MP for Dulwich and West Norwood and Shadow Minister for Children and Early Years