Calling All Northern Ireland Mummies - Re Childcare

[SleeplessinBelfast]

Hi Ladies,

Anyone else absolutely gutted that the announcement in the budget re increase in childcare funding doesn't apply in Northern Ireland?

Anyone interested in getting involved in a campaign that I'm launching to show our local politicians in NI how important this is and demand equality for parents in NI? We pay the same income taxes, surely we should get the same support . I feel that the people who shout the loudest in Northern Ireland seem to get the most and if we dont start to kick up about this nothing will ever change!

My kids are 4 & 5, so we’re just coming out of the crazy rates for full time childcare.

I’m gutted that parents in NI (let’s face it, mainly mothers) won’t get the benefit of the supports that GB are getting.

Sadly I don’t see any change happening within the short or medium term. The DUP are too concerned with having to fill out a few forms to import their sausages instead of focusing on the problems faced by the people who live here.

I don’t see it changing either, sadly, despite the new obvious unfairness.

There was a Belfast live article on this recently where a mum highlighted the lack of financial support available here and the comments section was full of people saying “in my day we had no help, youngsters these days expect everything handed to them on a plate”, and “why have kids if you want someone else to bring them up?!”. Complete lack of understanding of the real cost of childcare and how it’s increased exponentially alongside housing costs since the 80’s and 90’s. I think there was only one party at the last election who supported extension of the 30 free hrs, and it wasn’t DUP or SF. It’s not a vote winner so they don’t GAF.

I’d love to be wrong, my sister and I are the only families I know who have zero regular help with childcare (our mum still working, too much for dad plus in-laws live in England/ROI) so we’re paying top whack!

I'd support you even though I don't have childcare costs anymore. I think the childcare system is mad here. When I lived in England my dc went to nursery at 14 months. Stayed there until they went to school. Got 15 hours free from age 3 (it's now 30) and we could use it where wanted. So no moving dc to another nursery for their 'nursery' years. Friends here with preschool dc have their dc in breakfast club at private nursery, then they're picked up at 9am taken to school/ state run nursery for a few hours then back to private nursery. Madness

Thank you all so much for you responses.

Stormont will get more money as a result of GB's increased spend on childcare due to the Barnetts Formula, but I know there are so many other priorities and holes in the NI budget that our politicians would probably prefer to spend it elsewhere.

However , I feel its down to us, the working mummies to make as much noise as possible and let Stormont know how important an issue this is to the families of NI who make up the backbone of our society. Lets face it, unfortunately in NI its always the trouble makers who get the most. If we just sit back and do nothing despite the total inequality then nothing will change. Even if got a small portion of the increased funds allocated to childcare it would be victory.

I have spoken to many many working mothers who cant afford to have a second child until the first is in primary school or at all. Or mums who have had to leave their job due to childcare costs and now their families are really struggling to survive on one salary with the cost of living .

Simply put it's a crisis.

I have set up a facebook page on this - Equal Access to Childcare NI - if anyone could like or share it to raise my profile I would appreciate it. I'm planning on doing a petition, and looking for mums to share their stories with me so I can create a folder of case studies of the impact this is having on real life families to deliver to Stormont. I would also like to arrange a walk or a rally but it all depends on getting community support.

Sorry for the long post and thank you for reading if you stuck with me ! ps my facebook site maybe looks a bit amateur ish - I'm trying to improve my logo etc this weekend. If any one has anyone feedback on it or other campaign ideas please let me know thanks

I think it's wrong policy is different according to country same with prescriptions and tuition fees.....but I don't think many will benefit either way as there are not enough childcare places and the current underfunding is no t being addressed and in my LA there has been a cut of 40p an hour so will only be more shortages.