Frontload Child benefit to help pay for childcare preschool & "Activity of the day"

[rainbowrosie]

Morning - i have 2 things on my mind this merry morning

1. As a couple we have to work to afford to live the joys of pensions,mortgages,caring for elderly parents etc etc

with the horrendously high nursery fees/childminding fees - therefore we have to pay childcare fees for 2 gorgeous sprogs - this is approx 1k per month and will probably rise to approx 1.2K per month / £14,400 per year for 2

Approx 4yrs of fees = £57,600K omg i have to lie down and breathe deeply

Am i being unreasonable to think Child benefit could be front loaded to help the preschoolers fees so only for the first 4-5yrs - i know some families are in acute poverty and cannot afford daytrips/uniforms etc but as a society we should be supporting these families regardless of the £33 odd quid per wk that child benefit provides

Actually if i did the maths i think Child benefit if paid up until 16 as it is now
i think is approx £25K

surely we could offset that 25K against preschooling fees

Am i being Mental?? :)

2. Thought 2 - i do ALOT OF SOLO PARENTING on my own with 2 and i am wondering about a section on Mumsnet for "activity of the day" - something to do indoors - or something to do outdoors

there is alot of chat about parenting but not much about things to do with kids and i need all the ideas i can get

Perhaps it already exists?? mumsnet is quite big and i have limited time to search

I have drunk far too much coffee and will stop thinking !!

If i have understood you correctly you are suggesting not paying the weekly amount of child benefit but possibly awarding a lump sum. The problem is too many families need that weekly income, the working and non-working poor and those in between. There is the facility to claim some child care fees if a family is on a low income or studying on certain courses, so there is help. There is also help provided for families 'in need' who may need child care for a varity of reasons on top of their child benefit. Also we would have to ask for it back if a child died which would be terrible for the parents.

To prevent poverty i think that the child benefit system is the right solution. Although my opinion is that the cost of living and low wage situation, as well as others such as child maintainance does certainly need re-evaluating. Under Every Child Matters the Local Authority has a duty to plan for childrens needs and as more facilities are closed , local groups need to challenge their LA under the law. The removal of free swimming and the selling off of fields, for example, is disgusting.

Child benefit is paid whilst a child is in full time education so that could be up to the age of 19.