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.

I don’t know why it’s the government or the tax payers job to support families. It’s families jobs to support themselves.

I don’t understand this argument. If the government shouldn’t support anyone why have pension credit or social housing?

Also the argument is illogical as it ignores the fact many families are tax payers…

Child benefit; this new funded childcare scheme.

I feel supported.

I chose to have my child so I knew it was getting into nursery fee wise!

bring on April when my bill goes from £1200 to £700 a month

We can't just build all over the country. We already don't have the ability to provide enough food for the whole population because we haven't got enough agricultural land. The pollinators are already dying out because we've taken over their habitats. The country is flooding because we cut down the trees and built on the flood plains. We are not an island designed to be fully populated by humans.

We need less rubbish, large, "executive" homes no-one can afford and more small, decent, affordable homes built in appropriate places.

And no, I'm not a vegan environmental activist. I'm just a person who lives on this island and can see what's happening to it (and the world) and why.

Don’t underestimate people’s ability to vote against their own self interests in favour of their social aspirations.

Amen

Child benefit; this new funded childcare scheme

Child benefit doesn’t fund childcare & it’s now new, plus similar schemes used to be universal.

I feel supported

I don’t qualify for it but i’m glad my taxes help support you…

not new

This.

We now qualify for the 15 hours in April but nothing before that and to be honest we're not that far away from the original date of the universal 30 hours at age 3.

It's that squeezed middle thing. We pay so much in taxes and qualify for next to nothing that they pay for.

This country is shite at suporting working families. But if you’re on benefits you get everything.

I don’t actually agree that benefits are particularly generous however I do find it ironic that someone who qualifies for child benefit can make the statement “I chose to have my child so I knew it was getting into nursery fee wise” 🤔

Similar situation to OP here. Had 1. Planned for another once the 30 hours kicked in. But since then with everything else going up we won't be able to afford the £1,250 per month for a baby to be in nursery from age 1 (plus the £400 we're paying for breakfast and after school club for child who is already here) so we're sticking at 1. Plus we're in Wales so there are no plans for funded hours from 9 months to be available ever. Eventually funded hours should be available from age 2 but I can't find £1,650+ per month to cover the year and a bit in-between. So we'll have to stick with 1.

Feels like that doesn't it. Two full time working parents can only afford 1 child. SIL who has never worked a day in her life has 5. Feels grossly unfair.

And the health visitor to help new mums!

You need to understand a basic principle - the government has no money of its own. It can only spend what it receives in taxes or is allowed to borrow.
In short you’re asking for the taxpayer to pay more tax than the 70% we are currently paying.

@NameChangeAsICouldBeOverReacting you’re on maternity for most of the first year and so if you go back full time it’s one year until you get help.

The whole free childcare hours needs scrapped, isn't fit for purpose.
They would be better improving the tax free childcare scheme giving bigger discounts.

Show your work for your result of 70%

Northern Ireland doesn't even have 30 free hours!

Well said @IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos and I am a vegan environmentalist. Or I prefer to say realist .

Im also an architect and appalled how planners allow these huge houses and , for those on here worried about flooding, constantly disgusted how much hard standing and plastic grass is allowed in this country.

Much better to build terraced minimum three storey properties taking up less land and near to all services. This allows for more farmland and planting of trees and hedgerows.

We need more houses but not the developer mega bucks profit making new houses going up.
Our struggling young families would then be able to afford a home, a life and yes even nursery fees,

Apologies for slightly unrelated rant

Years ago, I worked on a government scheme aimed at persuading girls to choose STEM apprenticeships rather than Hair and Beauty.
I queried whether they might not be experts in the life they were going to lead - hair and beauty can be done on a cash basis to earn a few quid, while the opportunities for an electronics engineer with a young baby are less obvious.

@Justpontificating it winds me up! And then marketing these executive homes as detached and therefore at a higher premium when they're 2inches from next door and the garden is a postage stamp overlooked by everyone. If that's what I'm getting, give me a terrace at terrace prices.

I'm a bit of an environmentalist. I worry about the wildlife and the pollinators and I do what I can to help them. And everything I can within my means but everything seems against you in that respect too, cost and practicality wise. I take my hat off to anyone who can manage to do it properly.

Yeah, I don't get it. When my son was 3, he got his free child care which is supposed to help you get back to work. It was 15 hours, but it's set around school hours, so I could get 9 till 3 twice and 9 till 12. Which sounds great.
But I struggled to find work that fitted around those hours. I could have him staying longer, but I would have to pay the difference and on part time wage, I wouldn't have much left put of my wage.
My partner works also, but loosing most of wage of cold care, so I could work for £5 a week didn't make sense.
My sister has 3 kids, she said if all 3 were in child care. (when they were younger) she was loosing money by working, as she was a, single mum. Once all 3 started school, she did go back to work. But still lost a chunk of wage around child care.
They want mums to work, but fees are crippling.

Agree 100% I have 2 kids and don't expect the government/taxpayers to keep them and feed them. It is MY responsibility, not someone else's.

Which tiny island are you talking about? X

Childcare is actually cheaper in America than in the UK.

Supporting families means much more than providing free childcare. Supporting families to have a genuine choice whether to have both parents working is really important. Good schools. Parks and leisure facilities etc. accessible healthcare is the main reason I think families are not supported. The NHS is in an appalling state. A basic GP
appointment for a child is 6 weeks here. Speech therapy waitlist 3 years.