Early Years Childcare Reform Programme

Rating: Compared to financial year 2024/25 Q4, the Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) at 2025/26 Q4 increased to Green. This reflects strong and sustained progress across the year in delivering the expanded childcare entitlements. Early in the year, delivery confidence was cautious due to workforce and place capacity pressures in some areas. As the year progressed, uptake exceeded expectations, workforce numbers grew steadily, and local authority readiness improved significantly. By September, all local authorities were reporting sufficient childcare places, with no national shortfalls and high code‑validation rates showing demand was being met. Digital systems have operated reliably, parents have been able to access the hours they are entitled to, and no widespread complaints have been reported. The programme successfully met its final milestones and received a Green rating at its final independent assurance review, enabling a confident transition into business‑as‑usual operations

Schedule: Compared to financial year 2024/25 Q4, the project’s end‑date at 2025/26 Q4 remained the same. This is because the programme delivered all planned milestones to schedule across the year. While early delivery phases required careful management of workforce and childcare capacity in some areas, these risks were anticipated and addressed without impacting the overall timetable. The September 2025 expansion milestone was achieved on time, with strong uptake, sufficient childcare places nationally, and stable digital systems. The programme successfully completed its final delivery activities as planned, received a Green rating at its final independent assurance review, and is proceeding to formal closure and transition into business‑as‑usual operations in line with the original schedule. Alongside continued BAU delivery, management of the Programme's benefits and our Programme evaluation continue as planned, with the evaluation's final report due in late 2027.

Cost: Compared to financial year 24/25-Q4, the project's departmentally agreed Whole Life Cost at 25/26-Q4 (measured in £m) increased to £16,983 This reflects updated funding assumptions in relation to higher expected take‑up of funded hours, increased provider funding rates to reflect wage inflation, and refinements to delivery cost modelling as the programme moves to full rollout

Source: NISTA Major Projects Annual Report 2025-26 (data)

Rating: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the Infrastructure Project Authority's Delivery Confidence Assessment rating at 24/25-Q4 remained at AMBER. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ We successfully delivered key milestones in April 2024 and September 2024 and refocussed the programme onto the September 2025 deliverables (up to 30 hours of childcare per week for children over nine-months old, for eligible working parents). The programme continued, through FY24/25, to assess confidence for September 2025 delivery at a national and local level, and to support growth in workforce and places needed to meet parental demand. The scale of the challenge remains significant, and we will continue to deliver against a backdrop of uncertainty. As we approach September 2025 the work on the transition to business-as-usual continues at pace with the PMO directing the strategy around what this looks like.

Schedule: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the project's end-date at 24/25-Q4 remained at 01/12/2028. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ This is unchanged from last year.

Cost: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the project's departmentally agreed Whole Life Cost at 24/25-Q4 (measured in £m) remained at 15135. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ This is unchanged from last year.

Source: NISTA Annual Report 2024-25 (data)

Rating: The Infrastructure Project Authority's Delivery Confidence Assessment rating at 23/24-Q4 is Amber. This is primarily due to the following factors. An IPA Gate 0 review in Mar 24 gave the programme an amber rating. This was broken down as green for the first stage of roll out (Apr 24), amber for Sep 24 expansion and red for the Sep 25 expansion. The review recognised the hard work of staff to achieve several challenging milestones. Relationship management with local authorities and stakeholders internally and externally was praised. There were also some clear recommendations on the resource and capability needed in key aspects of the programme including the PMO, Insights Unit and Communications. We continue the work to strengthen these areas with focus on skilled resources and refreshing the governance. Our delivery has remained on track since the first 'live' milestone in Apr 24. We have continued to progress key activities across the programme including system development, operational infrastructure, and legislation to ensure the sector is ready for the expansion.

Schedule: The project's end-date at 23/24-Q4 is 2028-12-01. This is primarily due to the following factors. The programme end data is Dec 2028 this is primarily due to the plan to transform reforms to childcare for parents, children, the economy and women. By 2027-28, this Government will expect to be spending in excess of 8bn every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever. The programme is on track to complete by its stated end date.

Cost: The project's departmental-agree Whole Life Cost at 23/24-Q4 is 15135m. This is primarily due to the following factors. The whole-life programme cost is 15.1bn (which extends to financial year 2027-28) including both the delivery of the expansion (565.2m) and the additional entitlement funding (14.6bn). This overall funding envelope and specific project budgets are based on a pre-announcement estimation of likely delivery costs. As the programme matures, planning and policy is developed, and individual business cases prepared, more accurate budget needs and financial year profiles will be agreed.

Source: IPA Annual Report 2023-24 (data)