A new survey has shown support for higher income tax to pay for universal childcare provision.

Campaign group the Daycare Trust claimed on Thursday that a majority of the public would pay an extra penny in the pound to fund education for the under-fives and more out of school care.

The MORI poll, paid for by the Unison trade union, revealed 53 per cent support for the policy while four fifths of adults said they would like to have affordable childcare available to all toddlers from the age of one.

Ahead of this month's comprehensive spending review, a majority also wanted ministers to divert more government cash towards subsidising early years services such as nurseries and nannies.

The availability of high quality childcare has been identified as a key block to getting more parents into the workplace and eradicating long term social inequalities.

While Labour has put significant resources into early years subsidies and the Sure Start scheme, the cost of care remains prohibitive to many parents, particularly in the poorest areas and in London and the South East.

Roll out

Daycare Trust director Stephen Burke said the government should rapidly roll out Sure Start and community children's centre pilots.

"Quality childcare is good for children, good for families and good for society," he argued.

"The general public clearly support quality affordable childcare for all children. The public are ambitious for families.

"The next step is to develop a long-term strategy and timetable for the funding and delivery of children's centres in every community by 2015."

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis added that ministers should not be afraid of raising tax if the money is clearly earmarked.

"These findings show that the public believe that childcare is a good thing for society and should receive greater public funding," he said.

"The best way to ensure high quality, affordable childcare is for it to be well provided within the public sector and for it to be delivered by well trained, fairly paid childcare workers.

"By investing in childcare now we will be investing in the future of our country."

And Liberal Democrat education spokesman Phil Willis claimed half of the children from the lowest income families are missing out.

"Every child deserves the best start in life and that means affordable and high quality early years provision for all children right from the start," he said.

"The government's policy on childcare is failing to provide for 50 per cent of our poorest children.

"The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to providing all of our poorest children with high quality childcare, from trained professionals, within a decade."