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MNHQ

Fancy telling MNHQ what you think about the parties' childcare proposals?

108 replies

RowanMumsnet · 14/04/2015 16:11

Afternoon all

You may have seen over the past couple of days that Labour and the Conservatives have made manifesto commitments on childcare in England, Wales and NI, in addition to the current 15 free hours per week for 3-4yos (and some 2yos), and the tax-free childcare scheme that will come online this autumn.

Labour has promised 25 hours per week of free childcare for working parents of 3-4yos and guaranteed wraparound childcare in primaries 8am-6pm, 'underpinned' by new National Primary Childcare Service - a not-for-profit organisation promoting the voluntary and charitable delivery of extracurricular activities.

The Conservatives have promised 30 hours per week of free childcare for working parents of 3-4yos.

The LibDem manifesto hasn't been launched yet, but it's expected to promise something along the lines of 15 hours a week for all two-year-olds (at the moment, only 40% of 2yos qualify for it) and 20 hours for all three and four-year-olds, plus 15 hours a week for all children of working parents aged between 9 months and two years. (Check against delivery, as the journos say - the LibDem manifesto will be launched tomorrow.)

The Green Party promises a 'free but voluntary universal early education and childcare service for all children from birth until compulsory education age, which we would raise to 7 years'.

UKIP don't seem to have any specific childcare proposals at the moment (but do please let us know if you know differently!)

As ever we'd welcome the input of Scottish MNers if you'd like to tell us how the Scottish government's free childcare offer is working out for you.

So what do you think of the policy offers? Are they good enough? Are the funding promises convincing? Would they make it easier for you and/or your partner to work, if that's what you'd like to do? Will they make it easier on your wallet? Do they go far enough, or too far? Are there big gaps in provision?

Would any of this sway your vote?

We're all ears.

Thanks
MNHQ

OP posts:
MNHQ
RowanMumsnet · 14/04/2015 17:18

@sailoratsea

I'd be surprised if N.I. does get any of this. We don't get 15 free hours for 3 year olds yet.

Very sorry sailor - our mistake. What's the situation in NI then?

OP posts:
sailoratsea · 14/04/2015 17:14

I'd be surprised if N.I. does get any of this. We don't get 15 free hours for 3 year olds yet.

PeachyPants · 14/04/2015 16:48

The mandatory provision of wrap around care in primaries is the policy which appeals most to me.

Twoplus3 · 14/04/2015 16:48

For me personally it's too little too late. I had to quit my full time job two years ago due to my then two year olds additional needs and the fact we couldn't afford full time childcare, even with dh working full time. This what they're are now offering would have helped us tremendously, and would of meant l could have afforded childcare and gone back to work during the week instead of doin bank/agency work like I do now at the weekends.

BoyScout · 14/04/2015 16:47

Have child psychologists been asked their opinion on whether a ten-hour day in a school setting is desirable for primary age children?

SideOrderofChips · 14/04/2015 16:42

They're all talking out of their arses and won't implement anything once elected because they are just trying to get the votes of mothers.

CMOTDibbler · 14/04/2015 16:35

I think guaranteed access to wrap around care is the thing that would make the most difference. Care until school age (apart from the finances obv) is reasonably straightforward - and then you are into the hell of a 9-3 day and trying to balance your child being looked after and work. And it goes on for much longer than the preschool bit.

So its labour or lib dem for me

sleepyhead · 14/04/2015 16:25

Why are they calling it free childcare? Has something significant changed?

As things stand, it is emphatically not free childcare. It is access to early years education and local authorities are not obliged to ensure that working parents are able to use these hours in a way that lets them reduce their childcare bill.

In Glasgow, for example, the council say that there are sufficient council places in 9-3 nurseries to give children access to their "free hours". Obviously this is of bugger all use to working parents, and nurseries that offer the hours and are open 8-6 are in far shorter supply. The council will not allow parents to use the funding for private settings (except for a small number of "partnership nurseries" and they are cutting the available places in these.)

The council justify this stance by saying that the funding is not for childcare it is for early years education. If parents choose not to take up the opportunity of a half day place in a council nursery because it doesn't work as childcare for them, then tough.

Parties that bandy about so-called funding for childcare should either say how their plans are different from the status quo, or stop being so dishonest.

30 hours a week "free" childcare = zero hours a week "free" childcare for me if it's in a 9-3, term time only setting.

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