The early years and childcare sector has always been dynamic, shaped by shifting demographics, government priorities, and the evolving needs of families.
The welcome expansion of places, new Department for Education (DfE) policies, and a renewed focus on tackling child poverty are all converging to create opportunities.
For early years practitioners, this moment demands reflection, adaptation, and leadership.
The government’s commitment to expanding places continues to reshape the supply and demand equation across schools, PVI and childminding.
We believe that parents are increasingly seeking flexible, affordable, and high-quality provision. The extension of funded hours for working families, alongside targeted support for disadvantaged families, is driving different patterns of demand.
Yet supply is not evenly distributed – will it ever be, and should it be, I wonder? Urban centres may experience oversupply, while rural and coastal areas continue to struggle.
Recruitment and retention of staff remain critically important, with workforce growth needed to underpin expansion and delivery.
The aim is not only to create more places, but to ensure those places are sustainable, inclusive, and staffed by skilled professionals.
The rollout of Family Hubs represents a significant policy double-take. Designed to provide a single access point for families, they integrate health, education, and social care services.
For us, this means working more closely with colleagues across disciplines, sharing information, and co-designing support pathways.
Family Hubs aren’t just about efficiency; they’re about equity. By reducing fragmentation, they aim to ensure families receive timely and coordinated support.
For us, this requires skills in partnership working and a willingness to see our role as part of a wider ecosystem of support.
Our priority, as demonstrated in our Moving the Box programme, is to ensure the children who need more support get it.
Stronger Practice Hubs are emerging as centres of excellence, disseminating evidence-based practice, mentoring settings, and driving continuous improvement.
Their role is to ensure that expansion does not come at the expense of quality. For us, Hubs offer professional development opportunities and access to cutting-edge research.
They also raise expectations: we’re expected to engage with evidence, reflect critically on practice, and contribute to sectorwide learning.
The message is clear – we must embed quality at every level, and early years practitioners of all types are central to achieving this.
Best Start in Life provides the overarching vision. It emphasises the importance of the first five years, recognising them as foundational for lifelong outcomes.
Investment in early years is framed not just as childcare, but as education, health, and social policy. Great!
This whole approach challenges us to think outside our rooms. It asks us to consider how our work contributes to reducing inequalities, supporting parental wellbeing, and preparing children for learning at school and beyond.
The emphasis on early intervention means we’re increasingly seen as front-line agents of social change. Double great!
No discussion of early years trends is complete without acknowledging child poverty. The government’s child poverty strategy, published in December 2025, seeks to reduce the number of children growing up in deprivation, recognising the profound impact poverty has on learning and development.
There were 73 mentions of childcare – excellent! For early years, this translates into a dual responsibility: delivering high-quality pedagogy while also being attuned to the wider circumstances of children’s lives.
It requires sensitivity, resilience, and advocacy. Educators must be prepared to identify needs, signpost families to support, and adapt practice to ensure inclusivity.
Looking forward, several trends are likely to shape the sector:
Technology will play a greater role in administration, communication with families, and even pedagogy. Educators will need digital confidence to harness these tools effectively and safely.
As family structures and working patterns diversify, demand for flexible hours and hybrid models of care will grow. And with families being able to claim upfront childcare costs for the first time via Universal Credit, then demand may gather pace.
Recruitment and retention strategies will increasingly focus on career pathways, professional recognition, and wellbeing.
Policies will continue to prioritise disadvantaged children, with funding and accountability mechanisms tied to outcomes.
The expansion of places, the integration of services, and the emphasis on quality and equity all point to one conclusion: early years practitioners are more important than ever.
Our role is not just to deliver curriculum alone, but to act as connectors between families and services, between research and practice, and between policy and lived experience.
We will need to embrace continuous professional development, engage with evidence, and cultivate resilience.
We will also need to advocate for the profession, ensuring that expansion is matched by investment in workforce conditions and recognition.
Above all, we must hold on to the core purpose of early years education: to give every child the best possible start in life. In a landscape of change, that purpose remains constant.
James Hempsall OBE is managing director of Coram Hempsall’s.
Be proud of the word ‘childcare’
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