EARLY years education is in crisis — that’s the warning from childminders and nursery teachers who say parents in Bolton could lose “outstanding” teaching and learning for their very youngest.

Tomorrow nursery education professional will hand in a box of letters and a petition to councillors warning about the future of early years education in Bolton — unless action is taken to increase the per hour rate for a child for the free hours, or help with business rates.

Private children’s nursery owners and childminders in Bolton say they will be forced to operate at a loss as 30 hours ‘free childcare’ comes into force this year and business rates increase dramatically in some cases as much as £6,000.

A spokeswoman for Bolton Alliance of Early Years Professionals said: “We are businesses when it comes to business rates.

“But we are told what our income will be, even if it means we operate at a loss.

“Then we are seen as places of education, we are Ofsteded and have to have one member of staff to eight children.

“Early years education in Bolton is among the best in the country and under this system we could lose that as nurseries can no longer afford to operate — or can only take in children whose parents can afford to pay, creating a two tier system.

“Many of our members came into early years to make a difference, but now many of them wish they had remained in their previous jobs, where they had a good salary and a pension.

“The 30 hours childcare which the Government wants to provide is not free, it is funded. But our members are not getting enough funding to make early years sustainable.

“Many are being forced to negotiate with the banks, others are sustainable for another 12 months.”

Nursery owners have urged parents to come on board with their campaign for a fair rate of funding and support to ensure Bolton continues to provide outstanding early years education.

Bolton Council is set to pay £5.30 per hour for free nursery places for two-year-olds and £4 per hour for three and four-year-olds, with 38p extra for “deprivation”, next week.

Nursery owners say it costs between £5 and £5.50 per hour to provide a good quality service and will be operating at a loss — at the same time as facing hikes in their business rates.

The council is blaming Government cuts of £634,000 to early years funding — and accepts the problem has been “compounded by the Government’s revaluation of business rates”.

It is estimated that nurseries will lose tens of thousands per year under the new funding formula.

Tina Knight, of Wells House Kindergarten said: “Early years education is so important, it has an effect on how well pupils do in GCSEs. They can trace good results back to your early years education.“The funding that is being invested in nurseries shows that those in authority do not care about early years education even though it is vital to how well a child does.”

Julia Robinson of Eagley School House, added: “Nurseries in Bolton look after some of the most vulnerable children whose parents cannot to pay any more. Will it be a case of telling some children they cannot take part in activities while others can? None of us could do that. All children should be on a level playing field.”

Nursery providers and childminders are urging parents to get behind them and support them in their fight for fair funding before it is too late by writing to their MPs and councillors.

Jane Morrisey of Rosehill Nursery said: “There be a significant increase to the cost of childcare in Bolton, or settings will not be able to offer the 30 hours of childcare for working parent.

“Nursery providers go above and beyond offering support to the very vulnerable, helping them, giving them advice.

“The government do not allow us to set our own rates under the 30 hours but we are treated as business.”

The alliance has enlisted the help of Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi to help raise the issue of funding for early years education. She said she will organise a meeting between council chiefs and the nursery providers.

She said: “I asked the question in Parliament about this question and did not really get much of a answer back.

“The rate per hour per pupil needs to increase.”