Nurseries and childminders in England are to be allowed to look after more children per adult in an attempt to cut childcare costs and boost standards.
Children's Minister Liz Truss will say the ratio of children to child carers can be raised but only if the carers' qualifications meet new standards.
Statutory ratios for carers per child vary depending on age and setting, but the plans double them in some cases.
Critics warn the change in ratios could compromise quality and safety.
They also predict the changes will be unpopular with parents and unlikely to reduce the overall costs of childcare.
Britain has some of the highest childcare costs in the world, with many mothers with two or more children saying it does not make financial sense to work.
- CURRENT
- Under one and one-year-olds - 1:3
- Two-year-olds - 1:4
- Three-year-olds and above - 1:8 or 1:13 (teacher-led)
- PROPOSED
- Under one and one-year-olds 1:4
- Two-year-olds - 1:6
- Three-year-olds and above - 1:8 or 1:13 (teacher-led)
An earlier report by Ms Truss suggested the average family spends 27% of their income on childcare.
Ms Truss says the answer is to "relax" the childcare ratios, which she argues are higher than in comparable European countries. England's higher ratios lead to higher costs for parents and lower pay for staff, she says.
Ms Truss told the BBC the proposals were about raising standards and only those nurseries that hired staff with higher qualifications would be able to take on more children.
"It will make it higher quality, more available and more affordable. It will take time to recruit new people and expand nurseries. In the long term it will be more affordable."
She will say in a speech in London on Tuesday: "Other European countries have taken a different approach on ratios. They think that the quality of staff is the most important thing.
"Whereas in England nursery staff may look after no more than three one-year-olds, in France they can be responsible for five - and there are no limits in Denmark, Germany or Sweden."
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Liz Truss: "We're raising the standards so that parents will be able to get more available nursery places."
She added: "That is why we are encouraging nurseries to use their professional judgement and enjoy greater flexibility.
"Where there is an early-years educator working with children, we plan to allow ratios for two-year-olds to rise from four children per adult to six children per adult. And for ones-and-under to rise from three children per adult to four children per adult.
"Ratios for three-year-olds and over would remain at eight or 13 children per adult, depending on whether a qualified graduate was present.
GCSE English and mathsMs Truss said: "When parents hand their child over to the care of a childminder or nursery, they are not just entrusting them with their child's physical safety, they are also entrusting their child's brain.
"With this in mind, it is no longer acceptable that childcare professionals are not required to have a GCSE grade C or above in English and maths."
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Stephen Twigg: "Saying that more children will be in each setting risks undermining quality and even risks undermining safety."
This will apply to new nursery staff only, however.
But the Teaching Agency is to publish criteria childcare qualifications must meet for a new "gold standard" early-years educator A-level standard qualification.
Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg said the plans to increase the ratios would undermine the quality of childcare in the UK.
"I think this is one area where we've actually got something to teach other countries.
"If you look at France, there's actually quite a big public debate about whether they've got this right. I don't think you can compare the situation with Sweden where they have very, very generous parental leave so very few young babies are in these sorts of settings."
Quality concernsNational Day Nurseries Association chief executive Purnima Tanuku welcomed the commitment made by the government to improve childcare but said the "quality of childcare and early education must not be sacrificed".
She said: "Changes to the number of children individual nursery workers can look after should only be considered if backed by strong evidence from the UK.
"Many parents do not want an increase in the number of children nursery staff are allowed look after. They are worried it will have a negative impact on the individual attention and care their child receives."
Anne Longfield, chief executive of children's charity and nursery provider 4Children, said: "Government's plans to improve the quality and qualifications of staff are very welcome and offer an opportunity to look again at how childcare is organised and staffed.
"The welfare of the child must be our first concern throughout, but with highly qualified early-years teachers and a better inspection regime, there is an opportunity to review current arrangements and provide simpler information for parents and better incentives for providers to concentrate on what matters - children."
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