When I knock on doors each week, one of the things that parents of young children often raise with me is access to childcare. While England has some of the highest quality childcare of any country – 96% of providers are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted – the availability of it and the cost of it make it a challenge for many families.
That’s why it was so welcome that the Government announced at the budget it would be making the largest ever single investment in childcare – doubling the amount that will be spent from £4 billion to £8 billion each year.
At a time when the nation’s finances are very tight following the money spent protecting jobs and livelihoods during Covid – as well as the money spent helping people to deal with the cost of living by paying an average half of people’s energy bills – the amount of investment underlines how seriously the Government takes the importance of childcare.
The key point for working parents is that, from September 2025, they will be able to claim 30 hours of free childcare every week for 38 weeks of the year. And they’ll be able to do so every year from when their child is aged 9 months to when their child starts school.
This is a huge change and one that will be rolled out in stages to give childcare providers the time to be able to prepare for it. If you’re the working parent of a 3- or 4-year old, you’re already entitled to 30 hours a week of free childcare from the Government.
As of April, parents of 2-year olds will be able to access 15 hours of free childcare; following that, from September parents of 9 month olds will be able to do the same, before the full 30 hours per annum entitlement is provided from the following year.
Alongside this, from this September, the average hourly rate of wages for those looking after 2-year olds will be increased by 30%.
I have just launched a survey on my website www.david-johnston.org.uk/childcare for parents to tell me about their experience of accessing childcare. Have they found it easy or difficult, too expensive or manageable?
The survey also asks about the ease of getting access to hours of childcare during school hours and outside school hours, as well as about after-school clubs and – very importantly – access to childcare for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). As readers know I have consistently been raising the difficulties parents and children have been having with Oxfordshire County Council regarding support for children with SEND.
I’m hopeful the survey will provide important information for the Government as it implements this vital policy.
