It was fantastic to bring Mims Davies MP, Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression, to Carshalton Day Nursery & Preschool earlier today to talk about the announcement in the Budget of free childcare for working parents!
We got to hear from the team, including Ros, the Managing Director of Bright Horizons, about what they're up to.
It was great to be able to discuss how yesterday's Budget announcement extending 30 hours of childcare a week to all working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years stands to help more local parents get back into work.
DEEP DIVE INTO YESTERDAY'S CHILD SUPPORT ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Expanding free childcare so that working parents can access 30 hours of free childcare per week from when their child is 9 months old right through to starting school, increasing availability and flexibility of childcare.
- Upfront Universal Credit payments for childcare costs instead of arrears.
- Increasing the Universal Credit childcare cost maximum to £950 for one child and £1,629 for two children, encouraging more people claiming Universal Credit to take up work.
- Boosting the hourly rates paid to providers of free childcare providers, supporting the sector to meet rising costs. This will include further yearly uplifts.
- Establishing a new childminders' grant supporting childminders with start-up costs, with £600 for individual applicants and up to £1,200 for those applying via childminder agencies.
I strongly welcome the childcare package, having been campaigning and lobbying for reforms and better, targeted support in the system since my election.
They represent a real opportunity to transform the availability, affordability and sustainability of our vital early years programme.