Great news for working families with children

[cwhaley]

There's an election coming up.

Oh yes, it's a carrot/stick moment!

Further reading has told me that in our situation (with a 10 month old), we would get 15 hours in September 2024 and only qualify for the full 30 hours in 2025, by which time he would be 3 years old and would be eligible anyway under the current system. So - as ever - the headline telling everybody that working families are to get 30 hours' free childcare isn't exactly true, as many won't benefit from the change at all.

It needs to be introduced ASAP.

 

[martygturner]

Oh yes, it's a carrot/stick moment!

Further reading has told me that in our situation (with a 10 month old), we would get 15 hours in September 2024 and only qualify for the full 30 hours in 2025, by which time he would be 3 years old and would be eligible anyway under the current system. So - as ever - the headline telling everybody that working families are to get 30 hours' free childcare isn't exactly true, as many won't benefit from the change at all.

It needs to be introduced ASAP.

The bit you have missed is that at the fee's paid by the government to a nursery do not cover their operating costs and we are losing some 29 net per week ( that's start ups minus closures). The other bit is a nursery does not have to offer anything at the government rate as its optional. The two that have opened up close to us are fully private and charge 12k a year per child, yes you can put the tax credit child care payment to this ( to this but free it is not.

At the present rate of closures there will be only providers on the government rate for 50% of eligible children....hence this is just a spin exercise and no new money will ever be spent as there will be nowhere to spend it in....

 

[cwhaley]

It is worrying when you break the figures down like that. If I'm honest I hadn't even considered how nurseries might cope -- we're using a child minder who has very limited operating costs.

 

[JohnD]

"Great news for working families with children" my asre.

Just words to buy headlines.

Not like the billions in tax handouts to the highest earners.

 

[cwhaley]

"Great news for working families with children" my asre.

Just words to buy headlines.

Not like the billions in tax handouts to the highest earners.

Well the words were mine, after I'd been sucked into the false promise the BBC were reporting!

As I've said above, nobody with an under two will actually get the 30 hours until 2025.

 

[Notch7]

Oh yes, it's a carrot/stick moment!

Further reading has told me that in our situation (with a 10 month old), we would get 15 hours in September 2024 and only qualify for the full 30 hours in 2025, by which time he would be 3 years old and would be eligible anyway under the current system. So - as ever - the headline telling everybody that working families are to get 30 hours' free childcare isn't exactly true, as many won't benefit from the change at all.

It needs to be introduced ASAP.

Childcare is something that if properly affordable would make a real difference to economic growth.

If the UK offered childcare for under £10 a day, many more parents could work.

I really believe the increase in tax revenue would make it self funding.


but it’s not a short term solution unless we train more nursery staff and pay them properly

 

[cwhaley]

Childcare is something that if properly affordable would make a real difference to economic growth.

If the UK offered childcare for under £10 a day, many more parents could work.

I really believe the increase in tax revenue would make it self funding.


but it’s not a short term solution unless we train more nursery staff and pay them properly

Absolutely agree. My wife could go back to full time meaning more money for us and more money for the tax man, but instead she is losing one day a week (maybe two) so that she can be around for child care. I don't accept the whole "well you chose to have children!" -- it's in a government's interest to make sure its population breed and work!

Although we're using a childminder, I have a friend who worked in a nursey for years -- like care-givers, a minimum wage is an insult for the things they have to do.