Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits East Sussex nursery - In pictures

During the visit to Acorn Nursery – in The Rise, Portslade – Sir Keir met staff, parents and children as the government outlined fresh action designed to crack down on additional charges linked to funded childcare places, including non-refundable deposits, compulsory extras and hidden fees.

The government says that while funded childcare hours are intended to be free, too many parents are still being asked to pay additional costs in order to secure places for their children.

The Prime Minister said: “I'm here at Acorn Nursery, which is a fantastic nursery. The point I'm making here is firstly that the childcare provisions we've put in place have now been rolled out.

"So that's free childcare for nine months to four years, which is a game-changer for parents and all young children as well because being able to arrive at school ready makes such a difference. I'm aware that some parents have told me in other parts of the country that some additional costs have been added.

"So I'm here to make it clear through you that the core provision that the government is providing is there, free for everyone, and so the additional fees can't cut across what the government is doing.

"That's really important because whatever's going on in the world, whatever's going on in politics, and there's a lot, for almost all families across the country, the cost of living is still the single most important issue.

"And free childcare saves thousands of pounds, allows parents and carers to get back to work and has a fantastic result.”

As part of the measures, the Education Secretary has written to the independent Competition and Markets Authority, asking it to investigate practices within the childcare sector which ministers say are placing unnecessary pressure on working families.

Bridget Phillipson said: "I grew up in a family that knew what it meant to count every penny. I am so proud of the crucial difference that 30 hours funded childcare makes to family finances, saving £8,000 a year per child on average.

“The vast majority of nurseries and childminders have been brilliant in helping us deliver, but I will not accept the small minority letting families down and stopping them get what they were promised.”

Alongside the crackdown on hidden childcare charges, the government has launched a new cost of living tool designed to help families find local childcare provision, budget more effectively and ensure they receive the support they are entitled to.

The new tool also includes a trial of a local childcare map launching first in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset, helping families find funded childcare places nearby while promoting local nurseries and childminders. The service is expected to roll out nationwide later this year.

The measures form part of a wider government drive to make life simpler and more affordable for families, alongside the launch of GOV.UK Chat, a new AI tool designed to help parents ask questions in plain English and receive instant information about available support.

Officials say eligible families can already save an average of £8,000 a year per child through the current childcare support package, with more than 500,000 families benefiting from funded childcare hours.

During the visit to Portslade, Sir Keir also addressed concerns around social media harms affecting children, saying action in the area needs to be a ‘game-changer’, and pledging swift action following the close of a government consultation.

He said: “The consultation on children and social media is closing this evening.

“We’ve had very many people being part of the process, either responding or in discussions with me and with others. I’m meeting some of the parents this afternoon.

“I’ll be really clear, the question now is not whether we do something, we are going to act, I’m absolutely clear that this needs to be something where there’s a game-changer.

“So, we will be acting. The question is only what we do, and that will be coming very quickly, because we took powers earlier this year to make sure we can act very quickly.

“So, consultation will finish. We will then act, and we will be decisive, because it’s absolutely clear to me that we need to take action to protect children.”