THE chief executive of a nursery has said she is "thrilled" that the Prime Minister paid children a visit.

As previously reported, PM Rishi Sunak visited Kids Nursery, in Shakespeare Road, Popley, alongside Basingstoke’s MP Maria Miller as part of a tour of Hampshire on Friday, January 19.

Mr Sunak’s visit comes ahead of an increase in free childcare which is being rolled out nationwide in April, and by September 2025 all parents with children under four will have 30 hours of free childcare for each child under four. 

Katie Ghose, chief executive of Kids, said: “We are thrilled that the Prime Minister showed a keen interest in seeing our inclusive nursery in action. I am so proud of how our nursery brings together children with and without disabilities to explore, have fun and grow in a really supportive setting."

READ MORE: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visits Kids Nursery in Popley

Basingstoke Gazette: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Kids Nursery in Popley

She continued: “Our ambition is for every child to have access to this kind of joyful, safe and truly inclusive provision. We know from our early years services both here in Hampshire and elsewhere in England that when specialist support is funded, a significant number of children with SEND are supported to successfully transition to a mainstream school or to another setting that meets their needs.

"Families tell us they are battling to get the help they need and our team are brilliant navigators of the complex system and are always there by their side. I was delighted to show Rishi Sunak and Maria Miller the incredible benefits that this approach delivers for the whole family."

Mr Sunak said that "it was great" to visit the nursery "to meet with staff and children".

He added: "It was fantastic to see how dedicated the Kids' staff are to creating a safe and nurturing environment for their children. Thank you to Basingstoke’s MP, Maria Miller, Kids’ staff and the children for such a warm welcome.”

Following the PM’s visit, Dame Maria said: “The cost of living is still putting real pressure on families. Extra help with childcare costs from April will make a real difference. I have brought the Prime Minister to see the fantastic support given to children and families in Kids Nursery’ in Popley, with disabled and non-disabled children in a fully inclusive nursery.

SEE ALSO: Pictures of Prime Minister's visit to nursery in Basingstoke

“In Basingstoke we need an extra 700 childcare places to make sure every family gets the free places they need. I am working with parents at Kids to make sure we know the sort of childcare places that parents want. Places for children with disabilities and chronic illness are vital. Too often parents can find it impossible to get back into work unless the right specialist childcare is available. 

“The Prime Minister has seen today the importance of specialist support for children with special needs. I want more childcare places like this to be available to parents and children in Basingstoke.”