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The Children’s Food Trust has said that with the right funding, free childcare offers an unprecedented opportunity to give more children and their families the chance to develop better eating habits.

The comments come in response to the Department for Education’s proposals for an early years national funding formula and other changes to the way the three and four-year old entitlements are funded.

CFT head of nutrition, Dr Patricia Mucavele, said: “Contrary to the statement in the consultation document, food is not an optional extra or ‘discretionary item’ such as ‘baby yoga’ or ‘music lessons.’ Food is an integral part of a child’s day, without which they are physically and mentally unable to play and learn – it cannot and should not be separated from funding for the core costs of their care.”

Dr Mucavele also cited the government’s recently published Child Obesity Plan, which states that ‘The early years are a crucial time for children’s development”, and said that if a child does not have access to a healthy, balanced and nutritious diet whilst in childcare, they are less likely to reap the full benefit of this powerful early education intervention.