PARENTS are being forced to pay for their children’s meals, nappies and trips while at nursery due to government under-funding of its flagship childcare scheme, an educational charity warned today.

Last September, the government pledged to provide 30 hours of free childcare — double the amount previously on offer — to parents that met the earnings threshold.

But a study by charity the Pre-School Learning Alliance has found that only a third of childcare providers giving out the 30-hour scheme are delivering the offer free to all parents.