In my view

Rising childcare costs

Melian Mansfield gives her view on rising childcare costs

‘Spiralling costs mean that many parents are no longer able to afford childcare. Yet ‘affordability’ was a key word used by those arguing for more quality childcare and indeed by the Government itself. Working Family Tax Credit, designed to help those families who work, actually in many cases does not help at all.

‘Complex forms to fill in and, in some cases, inaccurate calculations by the Inland Revenue, means that parents are not able to access the money they need. When costs increase, salaries do not always follow, so when parents find childcare which is affordable and then later increases beyond their means, they often have to remove their child and possibly give up work. Neither is satisfactory.

‘The Early Childhood Forum (ECF) believes that families most in need are caught in an impossible trap; unless they are able to find work that pays enough for them to afford the childcare they want, they cannot work.

‘Providing high-quality childcare is costly and settings have to rely on fees and Government funding. If this is insufficient then fees have to rise so that settings can survive. A full and thorough review of the cost of providing childcare and ways of giving support to parents, particularly Working Families Tax Credit, as well as other subsidies needs to be undertaken if this situation is to improve.

‘The Government has made a huge commitment to early years provision, but funding is currently insufficient. The ECF feels that practitioners need to be recognised for the important work they do, and be paid well if children are to benefit. Parents need to be able to access childcare at a reasonable cost and for many it needs to be free. If other countries can do this, then the Government needs to find out how and why.’

Melian Mansfield is Chair of the Early Childhood Forum, which is serviced by the National Children’s Bureau NCB