The Department is currently extending early years entitlements so that, by September 2025, eligible working parents with a child aged nine months and above will be entitled to 30 hours of early years childcare a week.48 The Department acknowledged the new entitlements focused on working families, but did not agree this could create disadvantages for 41 Q 36 42 C&AG’s Report, para 2.16 43 Qq 5, 6 44 C&AG’s Report, para 14 45 Q 22 46 Q 46 47 Qq 28, 46 48 C&AG’s Report, para 2.17 12 those children with unemployed parents. The Department pointed to the universal 15–hour entitlement for all three and four–year–olds, where it had seen an increase in take up. It also described the childcare entitlement for disadvantaged two–year–olds, and the early years pupil premium.49 The Department hoped this additional funding would encourage settings to accept disadvantaged children alongside those with working parents receiving entitlements.50