The Government has opened applications for tens of thousands of parents who are eligible for their landmark expanded 30 hours of funded childcare a week. Eligible parents are set to save up to £7,500 per child a year from September.
Local MP, Marie Tidball, is encouraging all parents to check their eligibility and apply via the gov.uk website. All eligible working parents, of children who will be 9 months old before 1 September, can apply to access up to 30 hours of funded childcare a week.
This latest milestone follows the successful rollout of 15 funded hours for children aged 9 months from last September; with nearly half a million children already benefiting from access to more affordable and high-quality early years education and childcare.
A new survey shows that lower-income families are seeing the biggest benefits of Labour’s reforms, with one in five of those earning £20,000 – £40,000 having increased their working hours, thanks to the 15 hours brought in last year.
Alongside savings from Labour’s free breakfast club rollout and school uniform cap, savings are set to increase to up to £8,000 for working parents who have school-aged children every year.
The Labour government has also taken urgent action through introducing hundreds of new school-based nurseries and £2 billion extra investment, compared to last year, to support the brilliant existing providers, to deliver the 35,000 additional staff and 70,000 places required to meet demand for September.
Marie Tidball, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, said:
“I hear from families across our communities that childcare is too often inaccessible and unaffordable. I encourage families to make an application to take up the support being offered by Labour, as we seek to boost work choices for parents and life chances for children.
“With expanded government-funded childcare, free breakfast clubs and cheaper uniform costs, Labour is putting thousands of pounds back in parents’ pockets. I’ve visited schools and nurseries across our constituency and am already seeing the positive change the government’s expanded childcare offer is having on parents and children, breaking down barriers to opportunity locally.
“Children growing up in Penistone and Stocksbridge deserve nothing less but the best start in life, that’s what our Plan for Change will deliver.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
“Labour has a clear Plan for Change to break the unfair link between background and opportunity across this country, which starts by ensuring our children start school ready to learn.
“Early years is my number one priority, and making sure families are able to benefit from this rollout is a promise made, and promise delivered. But this is just the beginning.
“Through the hard work of the sector, supported by our record investment, landmark school-based nursery rollout and focus on vital early learning support, we will deliver an early years system that gives every child the best start in life.”
Justine Roberts, Founder and CEO of Mumsnet, said:
“We’ve heard from countless women on Mumsnet pushed out of work by unaffordable childcare. This expansion of support is a major step in tackling that – giving parents, especially mothers, the freedom to stay in work if they choose, which benefits families and the economy.
"We urge all eligible parents to check what they’re entitled to and make full use of it.”
News
Loading posts...