Despite rising levels of need, the LGA says that “nearly four in 10 reported reducing hours for children who needed additional support while almost a quarter have had to turn away children as they could not meet their needs.”
The report, Rising needs in early years outlines a number of areas where needs are not being adequately met by existing provision, and points out that the trend is a longstanding one that was accelerated by the Covid pandemic.
A look at the detail reveals that “The most significant change described by practitioners was the growth in the number of children with communication and interaction needs, and the complexity of those needs, with more children presenting with very limited or no language and/or social communication needs.”
In addition the report also showed that the proportion of children under five who “Access the universal early education and childcare entitlement and are identified as having SEN grew from 6.3% to 8.9% in 2024 and 2025.”
And it laid out the three key elements that practitioners felt were behind the rising tide of need. The first group of factors were those that are contributing to an increase in underlying needs – they range from an increase in poverty, increasing rates of identified neurodivergence, and the lasting effects of the pandemic on children.
The second factors were those that exacerbate underlying needs – and the LGA report says the key issue here was “The impact of passive screen time on child development and adult-child interactions, as well as changes in the context in which parents are parenting, the growth in additional and mental health needs among adults, and the reduction in capacity of preventative services.”
Finally, it listed a set of factors that make children’s apparent need for additional support more pronounced and visible. That list was made up of “Increased but not always consistent understanding and identification of additional needs, wider challenges in the early years sector (workforce turnover, funding, policy change), and the pressure for children to be ready for more formal teaching and learning at school.”
Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the LGA’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, said: “The early years are a critical time in any child’s development. Getting it right in the early years and ensuring a seamless transition to reception can improve outcomes for children and families.
“We know that promoting inclusion and supporting children who need additional support is a core part of the Government’s Best Start in Life agenda and improving high quality early education take up and wraparound support will help councils to ensure more children reach a good level of development.
“This report highlights the significant challenges faced by councils and providers in supporting early years children with additional needs.
“We urge government to act on these concerns when it sets out its reforms to the education system.”
