A CHILDCARE campaigner appeared on national TV to air her concerns following the Budget and its effects on the sector.

Angela Spencer-Andrea, from Halstead, has worked in the childcare sector for a number of years.

She is also the founder of Kadamey, a programme which provides a unique sensory oasis for children’s learning and wellbeing as well as resources to increase revenue and staff wellbeing for providers.

In Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Budget for Growth he announced plans to expand 30 hours free childcare for children over the age of nine months, alongside boosts to subsidised childcare for parents on Universal Credit including upfront support.

Angela took to Good Morning Britain to speak to Ben Shepherd and Kate Garraway about the situation.

She was filmed at the Barn Nursery School in Greenstead Green where teachers Victoria Percival and Jess Allen also spoke on the Budget.

The nursery said in a statement: “The Government must stop advertising the Early Education funding as ‘free’ childcare.

“It is not funded sufficiently and is not free, this information is unfairly misleading parents.

“The Government needs to pay a fair funding amount or say they are contributing towards the cost of childcare reducing bills not abolishing them.

“The local authority currently pays £4.73 per hour, and it costs us £6.65 per hour to deliver care and early education - a deficit of £1.92 per hour per child which continues to rise.

“We have no alternative than to pass this shortfall onto the parents.”

Angela also said she was “hugely disappointed” with the Budget.

She said: “I have been campaigning for the industry for many years now and have constantly submitted ideas which would support the industry, but they are constantly ignored.

“I have laid it bare in communications to pretty much every Prime Minister since Tony Blair.

“I’ve had meetings at Westminster and with numerous MPs all who say how outraged they are at the situation, but nothing ever changes.

“We are already seeing nurseries close and there will be more.

“I understand parents need help with childcare costs, but this is not the way forward.

“It does nothing to encourage people into the industry, quite the opposite.

“Finally, the proposals don’t even come into effect for two to three years so will not help any parents now.”