IT was sold as a scheme to give children the best start in life while allowing more parents to go out to work.

And working parents across Tynedale have been benefiting from 30 hours of free childcare for their three and four-year-olds since September – a year ahead of most of the country, as part of a pilot scheme.

Yet eight months after the roll out, childcare providers are already feeling the squeeze from inadequate funding – pushing some to the brink of closure.

The Government is offering 30 hours free childcare to families where both parents are working, or the sole parent in a single-parent family, and each parent earns the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the national minimum or living wage, earning less than £100,000 a year.

Early years charity, the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said Government funding only covers the cost of four out of every five children who take up funded places.

Chief executive Neil Leitch said: “Rising delivery costs mean that more and more providers are deciding to close their doors, and those that are staying open are finding it increasingly difficult to deliver a high-quality service at an affordable price.

“We believe that childcare providers shouldn’t be forced to rely on additional charges to stay afloat, and they shouldn’t have to consider offering different levels of service to children depending on whether their parents can afford additional charges.

“The Government chose to pledge 30 hours of ‘free childcare’ and so it is the Government’s responsibility to ensure that this offer is adequately funded and easily accessible to parents.”

While providers have been given an option to opt- out of the 30-hour scheme, North Tynies said “morally” it could not deny parents access to it.

“If we said no we would pull a plug on a lifeline for parents in terms of childcare,” said facilitator Joanne Norman. “We have a responsibility to support our children.”

A spokesman for Northumberland County Council said: “In relation to child care schemes and their funding, we follow guidance from central Government. We believe that the introduction of 30 hours free child care will be positive for families across Northumberland.

“We remain strongly committed to providing high quality child care opportunities within the current legislative guidance. Compared to other local authorities Northumberland performs extremely well in terms of early years outcomes.

“The council commissions North Tynies to provide a Surestart children’s centre service and an outreach programme and all of this council supported work will continue.”