The Great Childcare Reset
The UK’s early years system is breaking — fast.

Staff are leaving.
Nurseries are closing.
Costs are climbing.
Families are struggling.
And what’s the response? More pressure. More PR. Still no plan.
This is that plan.
A bold, practical, 5-year blueprint to reset the system — for good.
We’re proposing rebuilding the workforce, saving the settings we’ve got, expanding access to SEND and family services, backing families with smart tech, and fuelling the future with real innovation.
No more patchwork. No more panic.
Just a system that works — for children, parents, providers, and the country.
The Problem
The UK's early years system is on the brink. Staff shortages. Nursery closures. Rising costs. Parents under pressure. And a workforce leaving faster than we can recruit.
Now add in AI, automation, and a shifting jobs market — and childcare demand becomes even more unpredictable. If we don't act now, we risk not just collapse — but irrelevance.
This isn't just a sector in decline. It's a system in freefall.
For decades, early years has been treated as the afterthought of the education system — underfunded, overregulated, and politically sidelined.
The cracks aren't hairline anymore. They're gaping — and getting wider by the day.
  • 40,000 new staff needed by 2025 with fewer than 5,000 net recruits last year, and more than double that exiting the workforce
  • 1 in 5 children now start school developmentally behind rising to over 58% for children on free school meals
  • Over 300 nurseries closed last year alone crushed by rising costs, funding gaps, and burnout
  • A government strategy built on headlines, not outcomes 300 new school nurseries promised with no staffing plan, no sustainability model, and no vision beyond the press release
This isn't a system under pressure. It's a system running on fumes.
The fix? It's not another white paper. It's a reset. A rebuild. A new way of doing.
The Opportunity
Fix early years and we fix… a lot.
Outcomes in health, education, the economy, and family wellbeing all improve when children get the care, space, and support they need in the first five years.
Now, as the workforce evolves — and demand becomes more volatile — childcare must evolve too. That means redesigning systems to be flexible, inclusive, and community-powered. It means preparing for the future, not patching the past.
How?
With a big bold plan — The Great Childcare Reset is a suggested practical 5-year plan to:
  • Rebuild the workforce
  • Stabilise existing providers
  • Expand access and inclusion
  • Support families with smart, streamlined systems
  • Fund innovation not just maintenance
With 5 core ideas that support and complement each other.
The Five Interventions
National Childcare Corps
A two-year paid training and placement programme to recruit 20,000 new professionals — supported by inspiring Corps Hubs and a sustainable staffing model.
Save Our Settings (S.O.S.) Fund
A fast-access grant/loan system with embedded advisory support to keep nurseries open, add SEND services, and expand capacity where it's needed most.
Family & SEND Hubs
Reimagined community spaces housed in underused school buildings — delivering joined-up services, early help, and inclusive environments for families.
The Innovation Fund
A sector-wide R&D engine to fund, test, and scale bold ideas in early education, tech, care models, and workforce training — something no current fund covers.
Universal Childcare Infrastructure
A smart digital wallet (the Universal Account) and long-term savings plan (the Childcare Pot) to simplify entitlements and help families plan ahead — like a pension, but for parenting.
How We Deliver:

We need a new kind of national body — The Do Tank — built to break the triangle of inefficiency that’s held early years back for decades: siloed policy, patchy funding, and disconnected delivery.
We need to fuse what’s been missing — strategy, operations, and sector insight — into one bold, action-first organisation.
✅ A Hybrid Legal Structure — combining public purpose with entrepreneurial agility. One parent. Five focused delivery arms. Values-locked. Mission-led.
✅ Regional Do Teams — embedded in place, working shoulder-to-shoulder with local authorities, providers, NHS and schools to adapt and deliver what works.
✅ Sector-Led Governance — led by doers, not just deciders — with lived experience, community voice, and operational expertise hardwired in.
✅ Live Impact Dashboards — tracking cost, reach, outcomes, and ROI in real time. Transparent, digital, and built for trust.
The Do Tank is the agile motor the sector’s been missing — a central hub that connects funding, frontline practice, tech and talent, without the red tape.
We don’t need more research.
We’ve got the evidence.
Now we need to deliver.
Investment & Return
TO BE CLEAR: This isn't a request for more public money. It's a call to invest existing funds more strategically — and to invite external funders to see the social sector as a serious ROI opportunity.
We're not pitching charity. We're pitching national value.
£430M
Total 5-Year Cost
£715M+
Estimated Social Return
5.0:1
ROI by Year 5
(conservative)
Funded via a blended model:
Public grant
DfE, HMRC transformation budgets
Philanthropic + social impact investment
Earned income
Staffing agency, CPD, digital efficiencies
📌 Disclaimer:
These figures are directional and based on sector-informed modelling. A full cost-benefit economic analysis will be commissioned during pilot delivery. Our goal is to set a high standard for transparency and ensure all assumptions are openly reviewed.
Why It Matters Now
This is a tipping point.
AI is changing the future of work.
Flexible jobs are rising but stable care is falling.
Birth rates are dropping.
SEND demand is rising.
The system can't keep up.
If we don't future-proof now, we risk building a system for families and jobs that no longer exist. This isn't about survival. It's about strategy.
We can keep managing decline with short-term patches. Or we can rebuild a system that's smarter, fairer, and future-ready.
A New Kind of Collaboration
The world has changed. Policy, funding, and delivery must change too.
We need:
  • Blended finance models where public investment meets outcome-based returns
  • Sustainable solutions that partially fund themselves over time
  • Transparency and accountability not PR headlines
  • Cross-sector collaboration government, private, and philanthropic working as one
Who We Are: The CFD
We're a small, bold, cross-sector team of entrepreneurial Doers — here to fix the unfixable. We cut through red tape, rally the right people, and design solutions that don't just look good on paper — they work in real life.
We're parents, operators, designers, strategists. We've run nurseries, built tech, scaled businesses, and supported families through every kind of storm. We've seen what works. We know what's broken. And we're not here to do more of the same.
This isn't a pitch deck. It's a call to do better — together. ​ ​
Learn more about us at ​www.the-cfd.com ​
Let's Be Realistic – And Bold
We know this is a big vision. Some might say too big. But we've been in the sector long enough to know that small tweaks won't fix a system that's broken at the roots.
That said, we're not naïve. We've built this plan to phase in smartly, pilot first, and scale only what works. Every intervention starts lean, gets tested locally, and adjusts based on real data. It's how we avoid another top-down failure and build real, lasting change — one practical milestone at a time.
PART 1- The Big Five
We're not tinkering around the edges.
We're proposing bold, systemic change — because that's what this moment demands.
Early years are collapsing under the weight of
  • short-term thinking,
  • chronic underinvestment,
  • and political lip service.
What we need now is a blueprint for real transformation — one that reimagines who delivers care, how we fund it, what families experience, and how the system actually works.
These five interventions are big ideas, built for scale.
They tackle workforce, funding, family access, innovation, and digital infrastructure — not in isolation, but as a coordinated ecosystem.
We don't have time for slow reform.
If we want a system that works for children, families, providers, and the government, we need to build it — now.
And we need to build it differently.
This is the plan.
Intervention 1:
National Childcare Corps
Rebranding childcare. Rebuilding the workforce. Reclaiming the future.
A bold new national service for early years — combining the best of Teach First, the NHS Grad Scheme, and Army basic training.
The National Childcare Corps is a two-year paid training and placement programme designed to recruit, train, and retain 20,000 exceptional early years professionals.
Not just a stopgap — a real career path. One that reflects the complexity and importance of caring for children in their most formative years.
Why We Need The National Childcare Corps
The childcare workforce is in crisis:
Workforce Shortage
40,000+ new staff needed NOW - to meet 2025 government targets
Recruitment Gap
Only 18,700 net new recruits joined the sector in 2024 leaving a shortfall of 21,000+
Declining Childminders
The childminder workforce has dropped by 4% in one year
System Failure
Staff are burning out, settings are closing, and the pipeline is broken
The job is too hard for what it pays. The training too light for what's required. And the system? Too chaotic to attract the next generation.
We need a complete rebrand — and a high-impact, high-support national programme that turns this sector into a destination career.
How The National Childcare Corps Works
Phase 1: Fast-Track Training (6 months)
Recruits are paid to complete an intensive Level 3 qualification. Modules include child development & emotional literacy, trauma-informed care & safeguarding, SEND awareness, nutrition, H&S, and wellbeing, plus business, marketing, finance & AI for early years.
Phase 2: Placement Rotation (3 months)
Recruits rotate through nurseries, schools, and specialist settings to build experience and confidence.
Phase 3: Bank Staffing (18 months)
Graduates work 1–2 days/week as part of the Corps Bank Staff Agency, supporting nurseries at discounted rates. This helps alleviate staff shortages, generate income for the programme, and offer varied work while training continues.
Phase 4: Corps Alumni Pathway
After completing the programme, alumni can stay on in permanent early years roles, join one of our Childcare Corps Hubs as trainers or mentors, or launch their own setting with alumni startup support and funding.
Where It Lives: Childcare Corps Bases
To anchor and inspire the programme, we'll convert disused high street units and council buildings into community-first training hubs — replacing the limited-use government "Stronger Practice Hubs" with something better.
Imagine:
  • Mini-'universities' for childcare
  • Co-work spaces with training rooms, tech hubs, and cafe-style lounges
  • Community events, parenting classes, SEND support groups
  • CPD for existing professionals, not just Corps recruits
  • Fully inclusive and designed for the neurodiverse workforce of the future
These Bases lift the brand of childcare and show it's a profession worth investing in.
We'll scale progressively, hitting the 20,000 target by the end of Year 5.
National Childcare Corps: Funding Model
Government Grant
50% of total funding
Corps Bank Staffing Agency
25% revenue from staffing services
Impact Investment
25% from philanthropic funding
Programme is cost-neutral by Year 5 thanks to social returns, workforce contribution, and sustainable agency income.
What Success Looks Like Overall
20,000 new professionals
Qualified by Year 5
500,000+ bank staffing hours
Delivered to struggling settings
Staff turnover reduced by 35%
Across participating providers
5-year retention rate of 50%+
Keeping talent in the sector
1000+ Corps Alumni
Launching new settings, leadership initiatives, or training others
Impact Across Settings
For a Nursery Setting:
  • Corps trainees bring fresh energy, new approaches, and trauma-informed care lifting quality and morale across the team.
  • Advisory support from the S.O.S. Fund helps managers rework their business model, expand SEND provision, or redesign their space to better serve families.
  • Professional pathways are clearer, with staff seeing opportunities to train, lead, and grow — not just survive.
For a Family:
  • Local nursery stays open thanks to funding and staffing support — no sudden scramble to find alternative care.
  • Shorter waiting lists and more inclusive spaces mean parents of children with SEND don't feel locked out of the system.
  • Wraparound support and clear entitlements through the Universal Childcare Account mean families know what they're eligible for — and can actually access it.
For a School:
  • Shared Corps staff and collaborative cohorts allow for better transitions from nursery to reception — especially for vulnerable or neurodiverse children.
  • Family & SEND Hubs on-site offer early help that reduces pressure on school admin, attendance, and pastoral care.
  • Staff spend less time firefighting and more time teaching.
It's Not Just About Recruitment — It's About Staying Power
The National Childcare Corps isn't a short-term fix — it's a long-term workforce strategy.
We're investing in retention from the start, through:
  • Ongoing CPD and micro-credentialing for every Corps member
  • Dedicated wellbeing and mental health support, especially for frontline staff
  • Clear career pathways into leadership, entrepreneurship, or specialist SEND and trauma roles
  • A 5-year alumni track with access to startup funding, CPD scholarships, and sector job-matching
We're not just bringing people in. We're building reasons for them to stay.
Want to transform the sector? Start with the people.
Intervention 2:
S.O.S. — Save Our Settings Fund
Protecting what already works. Preserving the heart of early years.
The S.O.S. Fund is a fast-access, sector-led funding and support system that keeps existing nurseries and childcare settings open.
It's flexible, responsive, and simple — offering a blend of grant, loan, and advisory support based on need. From gap funding to expansion capital to SEND investment, this fund is a lifeline for providers before they go under.
Why We Need the S.O.S. Fund
Childcare closures don't just hurt providers. They destabilise families, weaken communities, and hold back the economy.
Let's look at the numbers:
  • 216 nurseries closed in 2022–23 a 50% rise from the year before
  • 415 closures in just two years = over 20,000 lost childcare places
  • 11% drop in registered providers since 2018 with closures accelerating in 2024
  • Closures hit the most deprived communities hardest where the need is highest, and recovery is slowest
A Barrier to Work
Childcare is foundational to employment — especially for mothers.
Impact on Families
  • 1 in 4 parents say lack of childcare prevents them from working more hours (IFS)
  • The gender employment gap in the UK remains one of the highest in the OECD driven in part by inaccessible, unreliable childcare
  • Single parents and low-income families are disproportionately impacted
  • When childcare fails, parents lose income, careers stall, and mental health suffers
When a setting closes, the fallout is immediate and personal:
  • Missed work or job loss
  • Children losing routine, care, and security
  • Parents scrambling emotionally, logistically, financially
Challenges for Providers
And it's not just families.
Providers are facing:
  • Admin delays that prevent them from receiving funding on time
  • Unmet demand for SEND support but no capital to expand
  • Sky-high operating costs and razor-thin margins
  • Low morale, high stress, rising burnout
We're not just losing places. We're losing trust, stability, and progress.
The S.O.S. Fund is designed to interrupt that spiral — fast.
How the S.O.S. Fund Works
Simple, Digital Application
Settings complete a short form and are triaged into 3 routes: Emergency Gap Funding for urgent cashflow relief, Strategic Growth Funding for expansion or space acquisition, and SEND & Sustainability Investment for service diversification.
Optional Advisory Support
Providers get matched with a sector-specialist business advisor — for support on operations, pricing, marketing, and staffing.
Grant/Loan Blend
Funding model is tailored to need and repayment capacity — with higher-risk grants and lower-risk recoverable loans.
Regional Delivery Partners
Local trusted organisations (alliances, networks, LA partners) handle onboarding and light-touch monitoring.
S.O.S. Fund: Funding Model
Core DfE funding
For national consistency
Optional LA top-up
To drive local priorities
Philanthropic & social bonds
For impact-aligned investors
ROI driven by:
  • Preserved local employment
  • Reduced LA crisis expenditure
  • Maintained family access to work and care
Who We Need for the S.O.S. Fund
S.O.S. Delivery Unit
Sector-led and agile
Digital platform partner
For triage, automation, transparency
Business advisors
With nursery turnaround experience
Local authorities
For onboarding and validation
Comms partners
To reset the public narrative
What Success Looks Like for the S.O.S. Fund
7,500+ settings protected, grown, or diversified
From stability grants to strategic SEND expansion
50,000+ childcare places preserved or created
Ensuring families don't face last-minute disruption or postcode lotteries
Local SEND provision increased
Especially in areas with long waiting lists and rising need
Fewer reactive interventions
Reduced closures, reduced safeguarding risk, better continuity for children
A sector that finally feels supported, not abandoned
With access to funding, advisory support, and breathing room to improve
And for government?
This is not just about childcare — it's about economic participation.
You cannot reduce Universal Credit dependency
Without a functioning childcare sector, families remain dependent on benefits
You cannot support working parents
Parents need reliable childcare to maintain stable employment
You cannot fill skills shortages or drive productivity
The economy needs parents' skills and expertise to thrive
Without affordable, accessible reliable childcare in place
The childcare infrastructure is the foundation for these goals
If we want people — especially women — to return to work, we need to protect the infrastructure that makes work possible.
The S.O.S. Fund makes that possible — Not by starting from scratch — but by backing the places that already exist, already serve, and already know what their communities need.
Intervention 3:
Community First – Family Services & SEND Hubs
Not another 300 school nurseries. A better idea, built to last.
We're not scrapping the government's 300 school nursery plan. We're repurposing it into something that works.
Instead of opening low-capacity childcare units in overstretched schools, we'll convert those sites into permanent, community-rooted Family Services & SEND Hubs — offering early help, SEND pathways, parenting support, and a lifeline for local families.
The childcare? Still delivered by nearby PVI partners. But the school becomes the support system, not the substitute.
Why We Need Family Services & SEND Hubs
  • SEND support is broken assessments are delayed, referrals missed, families exhausted
  • School readiness is falling 1 in 5 children aren't where they need to be by Reception
  • 300 new school nurseries? Without staff, design, or planning it's a PR headline, not a real solution
  • What communities need are accessible, integrated, non-judgemental spaces where families can get support early
  • These new revised hubs strengthen providers, schools, and families without trying to be all three
Equity First, Not Last
We'll prioritise hub rollout in high-deprivation areas and regions with known gaps in SEND access, working alongside local authorities and community orgs to make sure the first wave lands where it's most needed.
This isn't about retrofitting support. It's about building equity into the infrastructure from day one.
How Family & SEND Hubs Work
Site Conversion
We identify and retrofit underused school rooms or council spaces with dedicated SEND assessment and support rooms, parenting & behaviour programme rooms, language, speech, and play-based development zones, staffed check-ins with HVs, SENCOs, or community workers, and drop-in spaces for baby/toddler groups, stay & play, or early help.
PVI Partnerships
Hubs don't deliver childcare. Instead, they refer to and support local PVI nurseries and childminders.
Workforce Uplift
SEND specialists and trained community coordinators are embedded into each hub — building trust, ensuring quality, and linking families to the right help faster.
Modular Design, Local Customisation
We offer a national framework for design and service logic — but let local partners lead on what's most needed.
Family Services & SEND Hubs: Funding Model
Core capital
From existing government £150K/school nursery commitment
Local authority co-investment
Via Family Hub or SEND transformation funding
Philanthropic or corporate CSR
Contributions to hub design and equipment
Long-term ROI
Through reduced late-stage interventions, improved child outcomes, and early identification of need
Who We Need for Family Services & SEND Hubs
Schools
With space and buy-in
NHS & SEND specialists
To deliver and train
PVI providers
To absorb referrals and expand local places
Design & build partners
To create environments that uplift, not institutionalise
Community engagement teams
To connect with families
Ops leads
From Children's Centres & Sure Start alumni
What Success Looks Like for Family Services & SEND Hubs
300 Hubs built
With sustainable wraparound service plans and community partnerships
Hundreds of PVI settings supported
Not replaced — collaborating through staff-sharing, referrals, and wraparound care
Tens of thousands of families receiving support earlier
Before things escalate into crisis
Reduced pressure on schools and EHCP pipelines
With earlier identification, better co-ordination, and shared responsibility
Real SEND visibility at the earliest stage
With multi-agency teams co-located, not just co-signposted
A school system that supports families — not swallows them
Intervention 4:
The EY Innovation Fund
Backing bold ideas. Scaling what works. Breaking the early years funding mould.
Create a national research and development engine for early years — purpose-built to fund and scale the ideas our sector needs most.
The EY Innovation Fund supports new models of:
  • Care and pedagogy
  • Curriculum and delivery
  • Staffing and wellbeing
  • Tech, tools, and environments
  • System design and user experience
It's the sector's sandbox — built to test quickly, learn openly, and scale strategically.
This isn't another bureaucratic grant scheme. It's fast, inclusive, and sector-first.
Think: innovation lab meets social venture studio — but rooted in the real-world messiness of childcare.
Why We Need The EY Innovation Fund Now
We already have:
  • Guidance and frameworks from DfE and Ofsted
  • National curriculum and standards
  • World-class research from institutions like Nuffield, UCL, and the Education Endowment Foundation
  • Brilliant ideas inside settings, charities, and communities
What we don't have? Funding to activate those ideas. Mechanisms to scale what works. A bridge between the research and the real world.
That's the gap the Innovation Fund fills.
This is not another whiteboard session. It's a delivery engine for the boldest, most practical ideas — whether they come from academics, frontline staff, founders, or families.
We fund R&D in health, energy, AI — why not early years?
The EY Innovation Fund: Current Challenges
Right now:
  • Good ideas get stuck in silos or underpowered pilots
  • VC funding prioritises scale over safety
  • Government pots require years of operational history
  • Most providers don't even know where to begin
And yet… the need for innovation has never been more urgent:
  • Childcare models need to evolve with family life
  • Staffing pipelines need a redesign
  • SEND needs inclusive tools, not top-down labels
  • Tech needs to be built by those who understand the sector
The sector is ready to try, but there's nowhere to do it. Until now.
How The EY Innovation Fund Works
Quarterly Funding Rounds
Two tiers of support:
  • £5k–50k Feasibility studies, MVPs, tiny trials
  • £50k–250k Scaling, replication, digital infra
Inclusive Access
  • Open to nurseries, schools, startups, community orgs, researchers, and childminders
  • Designed to be easy to apply no corporate boilerplate or 30-page forms
  • Advisory support available to help shape, improve, and submit strong bids
Open Evaluation Model
  • All funded projects agree to publish findings openly
  • "Failed" ideas are still wins because they teach the rest of us what not to do
Scale-Ready Infrastructure
  • Strong ideas get matched with growth support, follow-on funding, and national scale pathways
The Innovation Fund: Funding Model
Core funding
From philanthropic and public innovation budgets
Match-funding
From tech companies, foundations, and universities
Revenue-share or social return models
For scalable commercial tools
Super Squad
Fund infrastructure delivered via the innovation arm
Who We Need for The Innovation Fund
Independent sector-led review panel
With early years, parent, and design voices
Innovation delivery team
To coach applicants and amplify successes
Data & impact analysts
To track cost-benefit, inclusion, and outcome metrics
University partners
For evidence frameworks
Comms partners
To share stories, findings, and tools sector-wide
What Success Looks Like for The Innovation Fund
100+ innovations
Funded, tested, and documented
20+ tools or models
Scaled nationally
A sector culture that celebrates experimentation
Not just compliance
Evidence-based practice
Becomes accessible, not academic
Fewer silos. More shared learning.
Better outcomes for children.
Intervention 5:
Universal Childcare Infrastructure
One system. Two tools. Childcare funding that works like the rest of modern life.
Childcare support shouldn't feel like a maze. Right now, it's fragmented, confusing, and full of missed opportunities. We're not adding more schemes.
We're proposing one simple, unified system that actually works — for families, providers, and government.
  • A Universal Childcare Account to bring all funding into one place
  • A Childcare Pot to help people plan and save for the future
A smart system for the life stage we all know is coming.
Because simplicity is strategy.
5A: The Universal Childcare Account
A smart, secure digital wallet that brings together every element of childcare support into one place.
Entitlements, tax-free contributions, top-ups — all transparent, trackable, and accessible.
Families will finally know:
  • What they're eligible for
  • What they've used
  • What's left
  • And how to use it easily
No more portals. No more codes. No more confusion.
5B: The Childcare Pot
A long-term savings account, inspired by pensions and LISAs, for people planning to start families.
You save from your first job. The government tops it up (25%, like the LISA). And when you're ready to use it — it's there.
If not? It rolls into a home deposit or pension.
This isn't reactive panic. It's proactive planning for a life stage we all know is coming — but few can afford to prepare for.
Why We Need Universal Childcare Infrastructure
Right now, the system is fragmented and outdated:
  • Tax-Free Childcare lives on one portal
  • 15/30 hour entitlements are LA-administered
  • Workplace schemes vary by employer
  • SEND top-ups, bursaries, and wraparound care funding are inconsistent and invisible
As a result:
  • Families miss out on money they're entitled to
  • Providers spend hours chasing payments and eligibility
  • Middlemen profit from confusion
  • Confidence and trust collapse
The UK already applies this logic elsewhere:
  • Universal Credit combines benefits into one system
  • Lifetime ISAs offer government top-ups for housing or pensions
Childcare should be just as clear, just as simple, and just as modern.
How Universal Childcare Infrastructure Works
Universal Childcare Account
  • Built using GovTech architecture, integrated with HMRC and NI numbers
  • Auto-activates at birth of first child (or earlier for planners)
  • Combines all entitlements: 15/30 hours, tax-free childcare, wraparound grants, SEND top-ups
  • Accepts top-ups from employers, extended family, and community donors
  • Pays providers directly, with real-time balance tracking
  • Interfaces with LA portals and DfE systems for automated updates and compliance
The Childcare Pot
  • Open to every UK worker age 18+
  • Payroll opt-in with smart nudges at career milestones
  • Government match of up to 25%, with annual cap
  • Top-ups accepted from employers, family members, community contributors
  • Can be used for registered childcare, wraparound care, SEND provision
  • If unused: converts into home deposit assistance or pension savings zero-waste, zero-loss design
Designed for Everyone
This isn't tech for tech's sake. It's built for real life:
  • Multilingual interface
  • Plain-language UX for low digital literacy
  • Paper-based backup for offline access
  • Childcare navigators and regional support hubs to guide families through the system
It's simple. It's supportive. It's overdue.
Universal Childcare Infrastructure: Funding Model
Core investment from DfE + HMRC digital transformation budgets
Long-term offset via automation-driven cost savings and uptake efficiency
Match contributions from employers, family, and impact-aligned private partners
Open-source infrastructure to allow tech partner innovation and growth
Who We Need for Universal Childcare Infrastructure
HMRC + DfE integration leads
GovTech design partner
UX-led and mobile-first
Treasury & pensions teams
For alignment on rollover mechanisms
Behavioural science and comms agency
For opt-in & planning campaigns
FinTech build partner
For secure Pot & Wallet infrastructure
Data, equity & accessibility advisors
What Success Looks Like for Universal Childcare Infrastructure
500,000+ families
With full visibility of support by Year 5
Admin burden drops 30%
For providers
Entitlement uptake increases
Especially in lowest-income brackets
Long-term financial planning becomes cultural norm
Sustainable affordability
Without massive new subsidy
Policy decisions based on transparent national usage data
Five Big Moves. One Bold Reset.
These aren’t tweaks. They’re transformation.
From frontline burnout to systemic redesign, our Five Interventions rethink early years from the ground up. We’ve tackled the sector’s toughest knots — workforce, closures, SEND, innovation, affordability — and built coordinated, future-proofed solutions that actually work.
A National Childcare Corps to rebuild the pipeline of professionals with pride, purpose, and pay.
An S.O.S. Fund to stop the bleeding — keeping thousands of vital settings open and stable.
Family & SEND Hubs that replace empty PR gestures with practical, integrated, school-linked support.
An Innovation Fund to back real-world ideas from inside the sector — not just policy papers.
A universal Childcare Account & Pot to give families financial clarity and long-term planning power.
Together, they form a connected ecosystem — not another patchwork of schemes. The kind of reset this moment demands.
🎬 That's a Wrap on Part 1
We laid it bare.
The Big Five interventions.
The system reset.
The scale of the problem.
And the blueprint for real change.
But here's the thing:
Big ideas need backbone.
So Part 2 goes under the hood.
We've crunched the numbers,
mapped 5-year delivery plans,
explored operating models,
costed teams and tech,
and lined it all up against think-tank reports and government initiatives — to prove this could work.
👉 More to do.
👉 More voices to shape it.
👉 More rigour to lock it in.
Want in on Part 2? ​email [email protected] ​
Let's turn vision into delivery. Together.