It's been almost two years since our sister title Grazia, The Juggle and Pregnant Then Screwed launched their petition for childcare reform. Now, the Education Select Committee have finally committed to a review of England's childcare and early years sector.
The petition which launched in 2021 received over 100,000 signatures from the British public in just one week, calling the Government to commission an independent review into the childcare sector and accept its recommendations. There was also the incredible March of the Mummies protest back in October 2022, attended by 15,000 parents, angry at the extortionate cost of childcare in our country.
The UK has the second most expensive childcare system in the world. On average, a full-time place costs £14,000 per year, making it unaffordable for many families, particularly single parents and those on low incomes. This rising cost of childcare has forced many parents into giving up or scaling back on work. Not only has this caused many mums and dads to experience mental health problems, but it's also having a detrimental impact to our economy.
Research by Pregnant Then Screwed in 2020 found that two-thirds of mothers work fewer hours than they want to because of childcare costs, and research by Save the Children found that there are 870,000 stay at home mums who want to work but can't because of childcare cost and availability. It was also found that childcare workers are paid so badly that 1 in 10 are officially living in poverty, which has only been worsened by the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Issues were exacerbated when the UK Government cut funding to the childcare sector in December 2020 despite being in the middle of a pandemic, resulting in 2,087 childcare settings closing in England in the first 3 months of this year.
Commenting on the success of the petition so far, Hattie Brett, editor of Grazia says, “We’re so thankful to everyone who has supported our campaign so far and signed the petition. Through our new parenting community @TheJuggleUK we knew that many parents were struggling with the current childcare system, but we weren’t expecting such an overwhelming amount of support in its first few days. Now that we’ve reached our first goal, we can’t wait to continue our work with Pregnant Then Screwed and make a change.”
Joeli Brearley, founder, Pregnant Then Screwed, adds, “We are delighted that we have not only received over 100,000 signatures on our petition but that Parliament has agreed to hold a debate to explore the notion of an independent review in more detail. This is the power of collective action. Thank you to everyone who signed, shared and supported. You made this happen.”
While the upcoming review is a real win for parents struggling with the cost of childcare, this is only the start. The consultation is currently live and the Education Select Committee want to hear your views and experiences.
You can submit evidence to the committee here until January 19, 2023.
"The consultation can be responded to by anyone who uses formal childcare, or is unable to use formal childcare due to cost and availability,’ explains Joeli, adding that formal childcare includes breakfast and after-school clubs.
Your views, opinions and experiences are valuable, and will be analysed by a team in Westminster before being published in a report later this year. Your help will influence future policy changes for our children and our children's children.
Help with childcare costs
While there is a huge way to go to make childcare affordable for all, the Government currently offer some support to cover some childcare costs. This varies depending on which part of the UK you live in.
You may be eligible for up to 30 hours of free childcare (this includes nursery schools as well as childminder care) per week for 38 weeks during school term time. This is for children aged three and four. If you use fewer than 30 hours per week, you may be eligible for up to 52 weeks. You can apply for the 30 hours of free childcare on the Governments website.
There are some limits depending on the age of your children and your work situation. For younger children, they may be eligible for 15 hours of free childcare per week. This help with childcare costs is also only available for working parents and there.