Guest post: "The government's new 30-hours free childcare scheme is neither accessible nor free"

[MumsnetGuestPosts]

The stories are legion about the sexism directed at female MPs, but I struggled to believe some of them - for instance, the claim that certain Conservative MPs would shout 'melons' and make the shape of breasts as a female MP rose to speak - before my election this summer.

But then last week I was faced down in Prime Minister’s Question Time. I took the opportunity to raise the concerns of parents in my constituency around access to the government’s 30 hours free childcare offer. Before I could even complete my first sentence I was met with jeering, especially from male Conservative MPs, to such an extent I had to stop and ask if I had made some kind of mistake in protocol. As it happens, it wasn’t me, it was them.

I still don’t entirely understand why all the shouting is necessary. I’m a former teacher, and I wouldn’t tolerate this behaviour in a classroom. Why should it be acceptable in the House of Commons? My reaction was, perhaps, quite female though: 'what did I do?' And it reminds me that the House of Commons has a long way to go to in terms of equality. I am pretty sure that if we had 50% representation by women, this kind of macho grandstanding would be far less common.

But what worries me most is the substantive point about how much the Government cares about the implementation of the free childcare policy. Anyone who has tried to take up the 30 free hours of childcare for three and four-year-olds won’t need me to tell them about the problems with the Government’s scheme.
 
Parents have faced huge difficulties trying to register using the online system over the summer. In fact I was granted an 'Urgent Question' on this in July when I quizzed the minister. Since then, it has become clear that the Government haven’t provided enough funding for childminders and nurseries to be able to deliver the scheme.
 
Many parents in Oxford West and Abingdon reported to me that either they couldn’t find a provider to deliver it or that they had to pay top ups. So neither accessible, nor free.
 
So my question, raising these issues and asking the Prime Minister to apologise to parents across the country for 'false advertising', was an entirely reasonable one.
 
In her answer, the Prime Minister has tried to assure me that everything is fine. They’re so determined to show that they are a strong and stable Government that they can’t admit that there have been problems with the 30 hours free childcare, even though they must know it to be true.
 
I absolutely support this policy. Anything that can help parents with the cost of childcare, help people to be able to go back to work, and to provide early years education for children should be welcomed.
 
But there is little point in a Government scheme that doesn’t actually provide free childcare and doesn’t give childminders and nurseries enough funding to be able to deliver it.
 
Some providers – entirely understandably – won’t be offering this 'free' 30 hours of childcare for three and four-year-olds as they won’t get paid enough to make it worth their while.
 
Some childminders and nurseries are now having to increase the cost of childcare for under threes to make up the shortfall. Many more have started charging parents for extras like nappies, baby wipes, lunches and early/late pick-ups that had previously been included.
 
On behalf of parents everywhere I will keep speaking the truth. I am determined to be undeterred by the behavior of heckling MPs or substandard answers by the Prime Minister or her ministers. While their attitude shows how much they really care about providing quality childcare for parents, I can assure you, I and the Liberal Democrats care very much indeed.

By coincidence, I’ve come top of the ballot for questions to the Prime Minister at PMQs again this coming Wednesday: tune in to see what happens next.

Layla Moran will be responding to questions and comments on this post shortly.

[CurlyBlueberry]

Yes HornyTortoise the rules are set by the govt, not by the nursery. My husband works a 37.5-hour week but because I "don't work" we aren't entitled. www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-and-education-for-2-to-4-year-olds it says you must "each" be earning the equivalent of 16 hours a week at NMW - £120 a week. I don't earn any money through paid employment, and my NHS bursary isn't counted as income.

[HornyTortoise]

Ah this may be why I am getting muddled. As 40 hours are done between the both (as regular hours anyway), with one having 16 hours, the other 24. So this would presumably be an issue if the 16 hour position dropped even just an hour.

[MyDcAreMarvel]

No, not unless they are on minimum wage it's earnings not hours.