Live webchat with childcare minister Sam Gyimah MP, Thursday 8 January 1-2pm

[KateHMumsnet]

Hello,

We're pleased to announce a webchat this week with the recently appointed childcare minister Sam Gyimah MP.

Sam attended schools in both Ghana and the UK and went on to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Somerville College, Oxford University. He spent 5 years working for Goldman Sachs and then went on to help build and develop a number of small businesses.

Sam was elected the Conservative Member of Parliament for East Surrey in 2010, and was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education in July 2014, with responsibility for childcare provision. He has served as School Governor of an inner London school and on the Board of a housing association. He is married and has a very young son.

Please join us live on Thursday 8 January from 1-2pm. The Minister is keen to discuss the cost and availability of childcare in particular, so if you have any questions, now is the time to ask! If you can't make it on the day, please post your questions in advance here.

Thanks
MNHQ

Hello,

This isn't a new question by any means but it's an important one, and as you're newly appointed I'd be interested to hear your take on it.

I'm in my mid late 30s and have worked in my profession for nearly 15 years, after getting my degree. My husband is a similar age, manages a team, has worked for 20 years. Our kids are 1 and 3. We work hard; our income is fine.

Why could I barely afford to return to work after the birth of my second child? At one point I thought I might actually be paying to return to work, as the cost of childcare and travel pretty much takes up my whole take-home pay.

And what are you planning to do about the prohibitive cost of childcare in this country?

Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Hello Sam. Congratulations on your new post.

Do you have any plans or ideas on how to get more males employed in the childcare sector? Is this an issue you feel is important?

I am forced to use my parents and my partner's for regular childcare in order to afford to work. Wouldn't it be a fairer system in these circumstances (and assuming that childcare in general will not be made more affordable) that they are given tax breaks or a similar perk for enabling their children to work. I've read that the 'free' childcare provided by the UKs grandparents runs in it's billions so it's saving parents and the government a sizeable fortune.

Please could you explain why childcare isn't fully deductible from income when both parents are working. While my family is ok, my of my friends are barely making it and go without because they earn too much on a gross basis to qualify for assistance but their income after childcare would qualify them. It is very hard to see them go without basics such as heat and food.

Out of interest, how do you manage childcare in your home? I am always interested to hear how other families manage because it helps me navigate through the maze that is childcare.

Hello Mr Gyimah

Do you recognise childcare as a gender equality issue? Every indicator is that women out-earn men until they have children, at which point men zoom off into the stratosphere and leave us behind with (to make wild generalisations) the smoking ruins of our careers around us.

Are you a feminist? Do you think childcare is an important feminist issue?

Please could you explain if you have any plans to increase availability of childcare for children with Special Needs ? As the parent of a child with SEN, I know first hand it can be almost impossible to find suitable provision for children with SEN. This in turn creates a major barrier for parents to work if they wish to.

Hi Sam,
I've been impressed by your work in government so far. I was wondering what your thoughts are on why more medium and large business don't operate creches (in-house) in the UK?

Are the insurance costs simply too high and could the government do anything to assist in that area?

Hi Sam,

Welcome to Mumsnet - thanks for coming on. Forgive me if this isn't quite right, but I understand that under the current government, the Extended Schools programme set up by Labour in 2006 hasn't been afforded as much financial priority as it could have - why is this, and if the Conservatives are re-elected come May, where will they take the programme? 'Wraparound' childcare seems to be the most sensible solution to childcare problems for school-aged children...

Hello Sam - I was wondering, thinking about leading by example etc, if you feel that parliament is genuinely more family-friendly for women AND men since changes were made to hours etc?

It was reported today that schools 'struggle to cope with students self harming.' Local authorities have had to cut back on support for youngsters because of savage government cuts. There has been a 40% increase in youngsters self harming since Cameron came to power. Child poverty is at the highest ever recorded. How do you as a Government Minister defend child care policies? And do you feel any obligation at all to improve the lives of children and young people?

www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/30695657

Hi
ive recently left my job due to take home salary vs childcare costs. Im freelancing to keep my skills but also because it allows me work really flexibily. However, cost of childcare is still a factor- particularly as I
dont have a guaranteed income each
month. Just wondering if there is something that the government could do to also assist those that are self employed- e.g. viewing childcare as a legitimate expense or enabling those who are self emplyed to purchase childcare vouchers?

While cost is certainly an issue, for me the biggest concern is lack of provision. My DS can't attend the pre-school attached to our local (village) primary school as it's only open school hours during term time and there is no wrap-around provision at all, or any local childminders who will pick up and drop off. Similarly the primary school has no breakfast or after school club, causing issues for working parents. I have no idea yet what we will do when DS starts school in 2016. So my question is what will you do to ensure suitable full time childcare is available to those who need it?

Why does the government think it is important to get parents (of either gender) back to work? We have far more unemployed than jobs available - so doesn't pushing parents back to work simply prevent other demographics (like young people) from getting work?

Why isn't anyone asking whether preschool childcare is actually beneficial to children?

Hello Sam,

Delighted to see that you have taken to Mumsnet. Do you think it is an issue that early years childcare is such a feminised environment? I know of three mothers of boys and their boys have been misdiagnosed with possible autism/aspergers by misinformed but well-meaning nursery staff who cannot recognise normal boyish behaviour? In two cases not just one of their sons, but both! They are all perfectly normal little boys. The worry caused to their parents unnecessarily is a real concern. One little boy's parents were told he might have autism when he was just 18 months old. I know this child really well. He is shy, that is all.

Hope you enjoy your foray into Mumsnet.

Mess.

Hello.

I am in my early 30s, returning to work full time following the birth of my sevind child.

Despite my Oxbridge degree and my career in a big 4 accountancy firm, I will have an insignificant amount left each month once childcare is paid for.

I feel lucky insofar as my pay will just about cover childcare costs, and I'm not literally paying to work. I know there are very many women in this country who simply cannot afford to return to work following mat leave. It's a loss for our economy, as well as a personal loss for every woman for whom working no longer pays.

What are you going to do about this cost? I know of no men, none whatsoever, who have their head in their hands stressing and frantically calculating whether they can afford to return to work following the birth of a baby.

*second, not sevind.

'Parents consider quitting work over childcare costs.' Reported by the BBC this morning. www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30710371

The above article makes interesting reading not least because the role of government is to serve the people not just themselves and big business. A point lost on the current administration.

"Parents of the youngest children are feeling the pressures most acutely and are calling on politicians to do more to help, particularly with the cost of childcare." As your government are absolving themselves of any responsibility in health and social care policies what is the point of this question and answer session today?

Hi Sam,
Education and care are so closely intertwined, it feels strange to separate them. All of the people we have working with young children, should have a good understanding of their development and how to support their learning. Of course the children should feel well cared for, be kept safe and have someone who genuinely enjoys being with them, but ideally those factors should be the bare minimum right? Should't we want more from our 'childcare workers'?

In other countries, like New Zealand- at least 50% of those working with young children (including babies and toddlers) will be qualified early childhood teachers. Yet some people I have worked with in UK baby rooms have been barely literate. It seems the only requirement is that they were conviction free. Of course there are some great people working with our babies & toddlers- but with childcare being such a low paid job it's always a challenge to consistently attract the best candidates.

Is having educated & qualified educators working with all of our young children a priority for this Government? If so- will barriers like the low pay & quality of training be addressed?

Another one here who is deeply affected by the costs of childcare. We have a four year gap between DD1 and DD2 purely because we could not afford two in full time childcare at the same time.

However, my question relates to the logistics of collection from nursery and the after-school club. We have no family nearby. DD1 attends a school that is half a mile from our house and uses the after school club there, which finishes at 6pm. DD2 is in a nursery 2 miles away from DD1. Arriving late to either means hefty late fees we can barely afford.

DH and I both work standard hours (finishing at 5pm - already negotiated earlier from 5:30pm!) in the nearby city, less than ten miles from our house. However in rush hour traffic it can easily take most of an hour to get home. If there's been an accident or other traffic causing incident, it can take even longer.

We have to use a car in order to make the journey in time, public transport would take even longer and is notoriously unreliable. Because we work within a few miles of one another we are able to car share and save money.

If we flexi-time so one of us starts early and the other late (which neither of our works are particularly keen on allowing) then we'd need either a second car (and parking space in the city!) or a public transport pass - which we can't afford. We also would barely see one another.

I doubt we're unique with this problem. What are your solutions?

In my town, if you have 2 under 5s, and need care from 8-6, the cheapest childcare is as follows:

Nursery (oversubscribed) £2300 PCM

Childminder (£7ph/C) £3000 PCM

Nanny (£10ph N = circa £14 gross) £3000 PCM

If you are in the situation that you can 'afford' this, you are in the position where you get no state help (apart from a paltry tax saving), are contributing your tax revenues and childcare tax revenues and are working for less than minimum wage once your exclude childcare. In what way is this fair and what can you do to help working families properly. The plans for tax free childcare are a slight improvement but are not tax free, tax free would be full tax levied and nanny tax levy.

I'd like to ask about increased childcare support for rural communities. We're already faced with increases in petrol costs to commute to work, plus limited employment opportunities locally as shops and pubs close. Could you increase after and pre school subsidised care at local rural primary schools as our local childcare cover is massively limited?

We currently have 3 clubs on 3 nights for an hour after school - none of these take children of any age group, so they are useless to us in terms of childcare as we have children of different ages.

There are many people locally who would like to work but cannot afford to as the travel is too far and the amount of childcare too limited (one oversubscribed nursery taking only up to 7 year olds and a couple of private nannies for those who can afford them) - it takes too long to commute with no after school subsidised provision to help meet the after school childcare need.

Many thanks

Plus in the summer holidays, provision is next to none for our rural community. There is one football camp, full price. Nothing else.

As a childcare provider (childminder) I am very aware of the costs to parents for care for their children, however many providers, especially those who work in nurseries or pre-schools earn minimum wage, or if self-employed sometimes less when they have only one child on their books. How are the government going to rectify the disparity between costs to parents and providers needing to earn a living wage in view of the costs to providers to provide care for other people's children to the justifiably high standards set by the Early Year's Foundation Stage.
Does it not concern you that according to reports today that 1 in 5 parents currently are having to consider reducing working hours or stop working because of the high costs involved and the knock on effect on the British economy, which although not linked to the Euro-zone and its announcement of being in deflation, is closely related to that zone.

Hi Sam - thank you being for here! My question is about wraparound care at schools and whether the government will take the agenda a step further and make it requirement of all schools to provide it?

I am single mother with a daughter who is due to start school in September. I moved back to this country in 2013 from Australia where all schools provide before and after school clubs so I have been shocked to find that this isn't provided by all the schools local to me in Tadworth, Surrey. Chiefly the nearest school to my home - Tadworth Primary, which is a lovely school - but doesn't have any provision for before or after school care. This means I haven't been able to make it my first choice school. The other schools that do provide it are further from my address so I am less likely to get my first choice.

I emailed the headteacher to ask whether it was something they were considering introducing but he said this wasn't the case as the governors don't see it as a priority. In this day and age?! It seem to still be the 1970s in this little corner of Surrey! This may be an affluent area, but in most families both parents have to work to afford to live here and it's too much to ask of my mother to do it every day too. The thought of juggling a childminder who may get sick or take time off in term time, not to mention the holidays too - is a level or stress, and cost that wraparound care removes.

I hope the government will make it a priority to make this simple solution for affordable before and after school care available to all parents.

The cost of childcare has risen under your Govt due to the changes you have made which have resulted in higher fees to parents and higher costs to providers.

While parents can access 15 hours of 'free childcare' this is subsidised by the govt then, in turn, subsidised by providers themselves who make up the shortfall we receive

The amount given to providers is not enough and it is the LAs who work the formula out.
When will you intervene and ensure LAs pass on an adequate amount to providers as you have admitted we are 'underfunded'?

In many LAs the funding to providers has not risen for several years...my LA pays £3.50 now as they did in 1997.
This is tax payers' money and LAs have no right to not spend it as it is intended...will you explain to parents how this works and that this is the result of their rising costs?

Thank you