A “GOLDEN Ticket” approach for free childcare for two-year-olds will be used in St Helens in response to a decline in the take-up of places.

All parents and carers of children aged three and four are able to access up to 570 hours of funded early learning and childcare annually.

Low income families are also eligible for free childcare for two-year-olds.

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However, a “considerable” number are missing out on this crucial free early education, according to a new report published by St Helens Borough Council.

In 2018, 94 per cent of two-year-olds eligible for a free childcare in St Helens received a funded early education place.

This fell to 78 per cent in 2019.

The council has also found that there is a direct correlation between areas with the lowest take-up of two-year-olds funding and the most deprived areas.

A new report, which went before cabinet this week, says one of the primary reasons for the decline is down to Universal Credit and the complex process for checking eligibility.

This entails parents having to provide three statements to ensure they are under the threshold of earnings to qualify for a place.

The report says research and consultation with parents has found that many are put off applying and abandon it altogether due to its complexity.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s cabinet on Wednesday, Cllr Kate Groucutt, cabinet member education, skills and business, said: “We know that high quality childcare plays an important part in narrowing that gap in educational attainment between children from the lowest income families and those from middle income families.

“Currently the picture across St Helens is that the level of take-up of these two-year-old places is decreasing.

“Parents have told us that since Universal Credit was introduced, the system of checking eligibility for these free places can be complicated and bureaucratic.

“Consequently parents have been put off from applying.”

In response, the council will use data provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC, which be used to confirm access to the free places.

Parents who are eligible will receive a ticket in the post which they can then take to their chosen provider to confirm they are eligible for a funded place.

Wigan, Warrington, Halton, Bury, Cheshire East and West, Stockport and Stafford all use this approach.

Many of the local authorities who offer the tickets have been doing so since receiving the first list from DWP back in 2013.

Cllr Groucutt said that other local authorities that have adopted the Golden Ticket approach have seen increases in take-up of at least 90 per cent.

In the spring 2020 term, St Helens Borough Council funded a total of 614 early years places for two-year-olds. These places were allocated under the current eligibility checking process.

Had the number of places been funded using the data provided by the DWP and HMRC, a total of 761 places would have been funded.

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Cllr David Baines, leader of St Helens Borough Council said switching to the Golden Ticket approach is “absolutely crucial”.

“It’s a question of social justice,” he said.

“And we want to close that gap between children from more deprived areas and backgrounds, and those who have a more fortunate start in life.

“And this is part of that mission.”