Why doesn’t the country support having children?

[NameChangeAsICouldBeOverReacting]

Just seen an article on The Guardian about the 15 free hours for childcare for under 2’s and how the whole system is a mess.

I’m just starting to lose hope that this country doesn’t support working families anymore?

AIBU and need to think more positively, or have we screwed up massively by not supporting families?

The Guardian article which I read.

The people that are born today will be our future workforce. I don’t understand how people can deny that it’s everyone’s responsibility to fund. If everyone decided that 1 child instead of 2 (for example) was enough due to inadequate funding from the government we would either have to import workers from other countries or we’d be stuffed because we would be half the workforce down. Who will start new businesses/keep us safe and well/do our accounts/cut our hair?! Put out fires!! (Insert any profession ever)

HOW is that not everyone’s problem to solve, not just left to the parents to “get on with and stop moaning”.

@keylemon oh, the Surestart spaces we had were stay and play nct type set ups, with music classes etc, we couldn’t leave children there.

Thank you - I chose a responsible, caring man to marry and he has repaid me hundreds of times over in other ways for the additional salary I brought in when he was the lower earner.

I'm the first to admit the way I'm treated as a childless employee in most businesses clouds my views somewhat, having to pick up the strain in jobs with very lax maternity leave requirements. This is probably outing but hey ho - for example, an ex colleague had 4 babies in approx 7 years, taking a full year's entitlement each time. The business was able to claim 4 lots of SMP from the government (i.e. us, the taxpayers) and all their workload fell to me, because it's very hard to fill mat cover roles in our specialism. Every time, the colleague came back to work already pregnant again. Yet I've only been off sick for 4 months, with a physical condition caused by workplace stress, and I'm now medically redundant and left with nothing. If I'd have gotten pregnant 6 months ago, I'd be protected by UK maternity legislation and then have 9 months pay and a protected 12 months leave to contribute to my recovery, plus spending my paid time building relationships with my family and my baby.

The above is a long-winded way of saying this is what I mean about childless folk being last in the queue, and its exhausting - existing legislation to protect parents ties everything up in knots and its often easier for businesses to let childfree / disabled folk go when cutting costs. When I use the turn2us calculator, and amend it to say I have two children, suddenly the government wants to pay me money.

The people that are born today will be our future workforce.

The people born today may well be our future unemployment issue to resolve. Given the likelihood of job losses

And this is already happening! So many I know are choosing not to have children at all or sticking with one for financial reasons.

Lots of countries have managed to incorporate nursery fees into taxes so that you pay a small manageable amount because it’s a real problem that needs a real solution. They can do it, why can’t we?

What's wrong with importing willing workers as we need them, and upskilling them? Why is that somehow undesirable compared to waiting for today's British babies to grow up and then hope they want to work in what we need them to do?

@EasternStandard we’ll have bigger issues than unemployment if this continues

You cannot be serious, really

Not really. AI will replace loads of jobs. We don’t need the same pyramid set up and if we continue with it it’ll be very tough.

Supply of workers will out run demand by a long shot

@onlyforeignerinthevillage I’m not against immigration, I’m Scandinavian myself! I was just making a point. I still think nursery fees are extortionate and shouldn’t eat up a whole wage packet.

By the country you mean taxpayers, there isn't a magic money tree. There is support for low income families. There's preschool from 3, under that I don't see why you shouldn't be paying the child care bill, it's not a surprise that it costs money, or do what I did and have time off work raising your kids then go back - and you cut your cloth to meet your lower income, we had a 2 bed flat, one old car and shared a payg mobile.

Would be amazing if we offered to upskill our own workers without charging them an arm and a leg 🤣 you do know if someone even wants to be a nurse or paramedic in this country that’s 60k off them please and zilch entitlement to all the childcare support given if just choose to work at Asda?????

@Onceinagreenmoon I dont mind funding it I DO mind being treated as lesser re. social housing etc because i dont have children. Tiny little flat is all the system says we are entitled to. The system will take the consequences next week when i have the electric check and there is NO WHERE to move furniture to. A double bed two wardrobes and a dressing table and the bedroom is full. Whereever you put the bed in the bedroom its under the light fitting as the room is so small.

The problem is that we need workers in all the industries: nursing, retail, cleaning, teaching etc. If people can’t afford childcare and then give up their jobs (usually mums) who will do the work?

Call me all the names you like, it will not change my views. If people have kids they should be able to afford to support and provide for their needs.

Why do you think that we will be upskilling workers from abroad when when companies refuse to upskill those who already live here?

Exactly.

The solution isn't for women to have no choice but to give up their careers.

Yeah this.
Have you tried running a household being a single child free woman? No tax breaks, tax credits, incentives or support here!

People on uc can get help with childcare already. People here forget that as I doubt they have been on uc!

Yes, I would agree I put myself and my own family first. Lucky me for, you don’t have a say in where taxes are spent neither!

And what will you do when only the rich can afford to have kids? We would no longer have binmen, people working to make sure that you have fresh water or electricity, grow the food that you eat, no-one to make the sandwiches which people buy in the shops or to wipe your bum if you need to go into a carehome?

So i take it you will be encouraging your kids into these professions?!!!

No the UK is notoriously bad at supporting families. Look at the maternity leave for a start and compare with European countries. You get 90% of your salary for 6 weeks and then a meagre £172 per week. How are you supposed to survive on that unless you have good savings? You can't recover from giving birth and look after your child properly with just 6 weeks. Someone above compared it with the US that is even worse but why compare with worse. Let's look at who does better and pretty all European countries fall in that category.
As for childcare, the whole thing is a farce as first you need a lot of luck and patience just to find an available space at nursery.
They want us to make more children but continue the gaslighting to make us believe that we are well supported.

😂

Annoying for you but your colleague was doing nothing wrong.