Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Parents of university age children never got ANY free childcare

378 replies

Cliff1975 · 15/03/2023 08:05

Whilst it is great that the government has finally realised that free childcare is needed those of us with university age children did not benefit from this and we are now supporting them through uni at great expense. Maybe once these kids who are getting free childcare get to uni that will be free too? Just can't help feeling that we are missing out from all angles?

OP posts:
DurhamDurham · 15/03/2023 08:25

What would be the at forward then?
To never progress, make things better for families and children?

My granddaughter is almost five, she's at school and my daughter has missed out on the free nursery provision (until she was 3) but I'm relieved and pleased that families won't have to scrimp and juggle while trying to work out if it's better for them to work or not. Our daughter could only afford to work because we did two days childcare for her, without that support she wouldn't have been able to afford to work as a nurse.

fiftiesmum · 15/03/2023 08:25

Nursery provision (and cost) depends on how much the country needs parents (ie mothers) to work. I remember my mum telling me that during the second world war there were loads of free nursery places then they got shut down as the men came back and needed the work so the women had to leave to look after children - along with the propaganda about keeping a sparkly home
We now have a workforce shortage again (Brexit, over 50's not wanting to work, education lasting longer) so time to get the childcare going again

Poopoolittlekitten · 15/03/2023 08:26

So? I don't get child benefit, by the time I retire the age I get a state pension means I'l nearly 70 probably. I've never claimed benefits of any kind.
I've barely troubled the NHS over the years.

Doesn't mean that I don't think other should have these.

Free child care benefits children as much as parents. If we want a more equal world with a population who have decent health, are educated, work, and who will then pay into the system that benefits our whole society then this is the right thing to do.

Nottodaty · 15/03/2023 08:27

I remember getting 15hours (term time hours) a week once they 3 - that made such a difference to me working. It’s frustrating when we work out how much we paid for nursery costs and now university costs (as we have to cover the difference) Especially as we only finished paying husband student loans a few years ago.

Its good that the government finally catching up with working parents and offering support, though I wouldn’t want the nursery care to be affected as the one thing we did have was fantastic quality of nursery care and both our girls very happy and well cared for.

Motnight · 15/03/2023 08:27

DumbPrinceAndHisStupidWife · 15/03/2023 08:19

Parents of uni age children probably benefitted from free university themselves at least and also lower house prices when they first bought homes. Something which the parents of much younger children didn't benefit from.

If you can afford to support them through uni I would just feel grateful to be able to do it. I'm a single parent, no idea how I'd ever be able to do that.

This. I am in my 50s. Free university. Even able to claim unemployment benefit during some of the holidays! Free childcare hours when my dd, now in her 20s, was at nursery. Own a house that I couldn't afford to buy now.

My dd had the maximum student loans and we still had to financially support her when she was at uni. Which was absolutely fine as we were in the position to do so. Many people of my generation are definitely financially privileged in many ways.

ssd · 15/03/2023 08:28

Im sure we got about 3 hours a day at nursery aged 3, here in Scotland

Its the trust fund money that gets me. Mine were just too old for it and we were on very low wages. It would be brilliant now they are at uni.

Changes17 · 15/03/2023 08:28

My grandma had to leave work when she was pregnant, my mum left uni for the same reason, I worked freelance and part-time partly to reduce childcare bills, hopefully my daughter will just expect childcare to be easily available. It’s progress!

ShapesAndNumbers · 15/03/2023 08:28

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

ssd · 15/03/2023 08:29

LiftyLift · 15/03/2023 08:13

It’s not a race to the bottom.

You would have benefited from cheaper house prices than people getting on the ladder now as they have young kids.

Thats very true

Albiboba · 15/03/2023 08:29

Cliff1975 · 15/03/2023 08:05

Whilst it is great that the government has finally realised that free childcare is needed those of us with university age children did not benefit from this and we are now supporting them through uni at great expense. Maybe once these kids who are getting free childcare get to uni that will be free too? Just can't help feeling that we are missing out from all angles?

Why do you want the world to be worse for your children?

I honestly can’t wrap my head around some of these comments regarding childcare reforms. Another post was basically like ‘wahhhh I never get anything as I’ve already finished 3 kids in nursery so I don’t really support this’. If your kids are uni age then you benefited from a time when uni fees were considerably lower, loans were considerably lower again as they could be topped up by grants which are loans today.

I have a 1 year old but as the funding is likely to come into place in 2024 she would be getting her 3 year old free hours anyway. I’m not angry or bitter about that. It’s been incredibly stressful paying for full time nursery and I hope that the burden is eased for other families.
I also only received SMP but I also support this increasing for both mothers and fathers.

This race to the bottom is fucking depressing. Can’t imagine how miserable you must be in real life.

SchoolQuestionnaire · 15/03/2023 08:30

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

This.

Not a good way to look at things op. It’s great that this is changing and life is being made easier for working parents. Yes, we didn’t benefit but hopefully future generations including our own dc will. How can you begrudge that?

Mrsjayy · 15/03/2023 08:30

My eldest is 30 and we got the preschool 15-20 hours., didn't your children get those op? You have turned into 1 of those "in my day" moaners don't be that person!

OnMyWayToSenility · 15/03/2023 08:32

I did! Back in early 00's

Tax credits and working tax credits were very generous back then! At least £600/700 pm
And we got free hours added to that too.

Whichnumbers · 15/03/2023 08:33

Parents of children who have been to university had the chance to buy property at a much reduced price to now in comparison to wages.

if parents don’t get free childcare then the economy won’t grow and your pension will be fucked

BertHandsome · 15/03/2023 08:34

It doesn't actually solve anybody's problem
Solves my problem of not going back to work as we end up no better off financially. With a small amount of free hours it makes all the difference, we will no longer be claiming benefits, I’ll be contributing to NI / my pension again…. It might not solve your problem but it certainly could make our lives a hell of a lot easier.

WithinyouWithoutyou · 15/03/2023 08:34

My DD is 16 and we got tax free childcare vouchers through work and working tax credits.
Also nursery fees were relatively cheaper, as were rent/mortgage and energy and food bills, as we didn't have a cost of living crisis!

Original poster
Cliff1975 · 15/03/2023 08:37

I don't disagree with progress and welcome the help for young families. I have three children, 20, 17 and 14. The first two had no free childcare because it was for the term after they were three then and they were both August birthdays so started school nursery (which was only on offer part time in those days). Totally agree my generation has benefited from cheaper housing.

OP posts:
Original poster
Cliff1975 · 15/03/2023 08:38

I have never had tax credits and now because my husband earns over the threshold, even though I am nowhere near and work in the public sector we get no child benefit.

OP posts:
VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji · 15/03/2023 08:39

Race to the bottom always helps.
I hear you, I had to give up my big career as it just didn’t work, no wrap around school care etc, no family support.
it is shit, let’s help make it better for our kids though.

Anotherturnipforthebooks · 15/03/2023 08:40

daretodenim · 15/03/2023 08:19

I know what you mean OP. I think about the families who have struggled paying extortionate childcare plus all other modern costs, plus went through lockdowns and in September their youngest will start school! That must really burn!

Overall though, it seems like good that the govt has recognised the problem. However I think it would have been better to increase the free hours for 3 and 4 year olds to full time or have free wraparound care for primary age, rather than add more part time. It doesn't actually solve anybody's problem, it just makes it a bit less hard at one end, for those who want to be in work. Also, where are all the extra places actually going to be! There are already waiting lists!

Not really. This applies to us and I don't begrudge it.

VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji · 15/03/2023 08:40

Totally agree my generation has benefited from cheaper housing.

only if you were in a position to buy, I’ve been paid out over £275,000 in rent over the period your talking about.

maddy68 · 15/03/2023 08:41

We also had affordable housing etc. Times change

Anotherturnipforthebooks · 15/03/2023 08:42

Gremlinsuplate · 15/03/2023 08:22

Yes, let's make society harder for everyone that comes after us.

I'm off to chuck out my TV, sell my car, and put the loo in the shed, these youngsters have it too easy these days.

Yep. It's this kind of thinking that has gotten us where we are.

At one point, people in this country were actually hopeful and wanted their children to have better lives than they did.

Op, if your children are around 20, I'm going to assume that maybe you didn't have to pay high tuition fees if/when you went to uni and probably benefitted from lower house prices too.

Changes17 · 15/03/2023 08:42

I’m in my 50s. I got: free uni, full grant, housing benefit in the year I wasn’t in halls, could sign on in the holidays (though I generally didn’t). When I had kids I had working tax credits for a while, however many free hours (15?) from age of 3. Older child (16) has a child trust fund. It’s got noticeably worse in the last few years and I’m glad it’s improving. Only this government could have let it get so bad before they reacted.

Now they need to tackle the long-term health issues of those on NHS waiting lists.

ReneBumsWombats · 15/03/2023 08:43

Progress is a good thing even though it always comes too late for some people. As PPs have said, you had your own advantages.