Childcare workers in South Yorkshire say scrapping rules on numbers is 'dangerous'
Prime Minister Liz Truss could scrap rules on the number of nursery staff required to look after children in a bid to make childcare cheaper
Rather than adapting the ratios, Liz Truss is considering axing the regulation altogether, meaning nurseries would decide how many staff they need to look after their children.
Olivia Corbin-Phillips works at a nursery in Yorkshire and says the government are "passing it on and saying if we change these ratios, it's no longer our problem, the childcare providers are the ones in charge.
"That's a really lazy thing to do, when you look at other places in Europe that work, it's because they're funding the childcare system better."
In England, the Department for Education (DfE) publishes guidance for early years providers which sets out statutory requirements about adult to child ratios (DfE, 2021).
The required adult to child ratios varies depending on the setting and the age of children.
Children under two:
One adult for every three children (1:3)
Children aged two:
One adult for every four children (1:4)
Children aged three and over where a member of staff with approved level 6 qualification is working directly with the children:
One adult for every 13 children (1:13)
Children aged three and over where a member of staff with approved level 6 qualification is not working directly with the children:
One adult for every eight children (1:8)
Olivia told us: "In terms of safety - that's the biggest thing. That's the most obvious reason, yeah there are countries that operate on higher ratios, but speak to parents whose children have been lost at nurseries - it's hard to justify changing them ratios. "
Liz Truss has not said when a decision will be made.