Govt stealth policy to eradicate SAH parenting

[JRHartley72]

The Guardian is reporting this morning that buried deep in Jeremy Hunt's budget last week is a new policy which will force parents on UC to return to work when their children turn three. As charities and campaigners say, it's like they just don't want us to raise our own children any more!

www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/22/jeremy-hunt-universal-credit-benefits-mothers-30-hour-weeks

I think it should be a choice of 15 hours max while child is under 5, not 30.

What about the people that need or want to work more? Just because you are offered 30, you don't have to take 30. Just choose the right amount for you and your child - removing that choice for everyone based on what you would do is wrong.

That's why I said 'choice'

Yes but your choice is max 15.

This is a load of nonsense

Attachment theory relates to abuse and neglect not working parents.

@hamstersarse

What does working or not have to do with 'valuing motherhood'?

As usual I see all the blame and focus is on mums.

No mention of dads

Why arent we arguing for longer and better paid paternity leave?

I don’t agree with young babies being in full time childcare. They need one to one care.

to be honest, having to go back to work at 3 is not terrible. any younger is wrong in my opinion. Feminism was supposed to help, not encourage more separation of child and family. Being able to raise your own kids shouldn’t just be for the rich.

But why should other people pay for this?

I don’t agree with young babies being in full time childcare. They need one to one care

And yet historically the ones who could had a wet nurse, then a nanny and then the children were shipped off to boarding school or to live with a relative in order to receive an education and ensuring the "line" continues.

Many of these children were (and are) our leaders, eduaters or are successful scientists, economists ect.

Except most kids aren't in full time childcare

Most women take 1 years mat leave. Then lots of them go part time.

Lots of families rely on each other for child care support.

Some manage to work flexibly and spilt childcare

The idea that all working families are made up of 2 full time working parents with very small babies in full time childcare is a load of nonsense made up by those who want to get their judgey knickers in a twist

Where are all these babies in full time childcare?

It's quite telling in my view that a thread about parents having to seek work when their child is 3 unless they can afford to SAH without state benefits has somehow ended up with loads of emotive comments about babies in full time childcare and only seeing their parents at weekends!!!

The period of paternity leave isn’t relevant to the issue. This is for children 3+

Especially given weren’t not talking about babies, but preschoolers.

@BoredLawyer

Then neither is mat leave lol

There were lots of comments about mat leave not being long enough and poor innocent babies being dumped in orphanages, sorry, nursery

Where are the comments asking why their dads can't look after them?

Does no one value fatherhood anymore?!!

I think they're happy for you to stay at home if you can afford to but people claiming cane can they. Probably be a drive to get people back to work and not use childcare as an excuse not to get a job

But their dads don’t need to look after them to enable the mother to work, if childcare provision is made?

@BoredLawyer

They appear to be arguing that children will be damaged for life if they don't have a primary care giver.

I dont agree with the argument but I especially don't agree that it has to be the mother. Why can't it be the dad, if that's what they feel is important?

The new statement was about babies over 9 months

"Childcare revolution to expand 30 hours free childcare for children over the age of nine months..."

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-unveils-a-budget-for-growth

Just because childcare is more accessible it doesn’t mean you have to use it.

It’s still a choice and women here face some of highest costs in the world for cc

The op was about something else linked to UC starting age 3

30 hours a week is also not full time childcare. It's 3x full days a week, or five short days a week, term time only.

I'm not really sure whether the thread is about 3 year olds or 9 month olds, I had presumed the latter given that was what was new in the budget statement and relevant to the OP's title.

And my opinion is different as to whether we are talking about 3 year olds or 9 month olds

@hamstersarse Do 3 yo not need mothering like?

But if my understanding is correct, the new funded childcare will be available from 9 months but parents won't actually be required to seek employment until the child is 3. So what's the issue from your perspective? Are you objecting to subsidised childcare that might give the choice for low earning women to return to work if they want to?

This thread is 3 year olds

There’s other policy but for UC issue it’s three