Free childcare for 2 year olds anyone?

[katycaterpiller]

Is anyone impressed by the proposed policy of 12.5 hours a week free childcare for 2 year olds to be phased in over 10 years? Would that actually help any mother back to anything more than a 1.5 day a week job (if they exist)? I pay for ten hours childcare a day (8am to 6pm), five days a week to keep my job, and I needed it from the end of maternity leave; so this is pretty useless as far as I can see. I would like to see universal, good quality, affordable (perhaps with sliding fees depending on family income) childcare for every child whose parents want/need it, starting from the end of maternity leave. I'd love to know what you all think.

Hear Hear !!

It's rubbish as far as enabling anybody to go to work is concerned. But I guess if you are working and paying the full whack for your care, then every little helps as they say

I thought this was odd as well. If its organised like the existing nursery school from 3 yrs old then its not going to be of great use to anyone who is working and its not as if 2 year olds need to go to nursery.

I think a much smarter move would be to remove tax from all childcare vouchers and make all employers obliged to provide these.

Neither use nor ornament in terms of getting people back to work. Bollox novelty policy if you ask me.

As you say, Katy, good quality affordable childcare would make MUCH more of a difference.

It's a rubbish idea. 2.5 hours a day in a nursery class does not enable you to have a job - and messes up any existing childcare you may have, doesn't save you any money at the nursery as you still have to pay for the morning session if they pick up at 11.30. What would help is subsidising good quality childcare. £40 a day is beyond the reach of a lot of people, me included. GB either doesn't realise this, or can't fit it into a sound bite.

Rubbish idea ime many 2 years olds are not ready for pre-school type environments and I guess this would run alongside the current provision therefore with the 2.5 hour sessions.

IMHO what a waste of money (that the country as a whole can not afford to waste!)

Oh yes another point is I think he mentioned specifically that it would be in a nursery.

I have chosen to use a CM for a number of reasons therefore wouldn't benefit at all from this new proposal. Perhaps my CM would enjoy the benefit of 2.5 hours per day of my money without having to look after my DS, but she would be the only one to get anything from it.

You do sometimes wonder if he ever runs these proposals past Sarah Brown. Surely 99% of mothers would realise that its window dressing at its least effective.