We will not build an economy that works for everyone until we resolve Britain’s childcare crisis. ‘Crisis’ is a word that we hear a lot in politics these days, but sometimes it is the only one that will fit. How else are we to describe a situation where parents are facing childcare bills that in some parts of the country are 47 per cent higher than they were four years ago. Tough enough at the best of times, but after four years of stagnant wages childcare inflation is not just an inconvenience: for many families it makes the difference between whether it is worth going back to work or not, for others it could actually tip the balance into child poverty.
A failure to provide affordable, high-quality, flexible childcare is bad for parents, bad for kids and bad for the country. Every parent deserves the right to be able to make their own decisions about how and when to return to work – and unaffordable childcare removes that choice. By keeping mothers and fathers out of the labour market for longer than they might wish, their earnings are reduced, their family budgets more stretched, the gender pay gap widens, welfare bills rise and tax income reduces. Lose-lose all round. Because this is not just about abstract percentages: this is about families in my constituencies and others like them having to find as much as £31 more per week for childcare. It is about two parents employed part-time on an average wage having to work until Thursday each week before they have paid off their childcare costs.
This is clearly not a situation where Labour can stand by while families are squeezed and children are denied high-quality care. We have a great track record in government, providing 15 hours of free childcare every week for all three and four-year-olds. Now we need to be more radical still. That is why the next Labour government will introduce 25 hours of free childcare for every three- and four-year-old whose parents are in work. This could be transformatory for so many families, enabling more parents who want to return to work to do so, raising children’s attainment and easing the squeeze on household budgets.
I am passionate about this policy – and about making sure it works. That is why I am embarking on a 25 for 25 tour – visiting 25 constituencies to meet parents and childcare staff to talk about how we make 25 hours a reality – because this cannot just be a pledge that sounds great on paper and does not exist on the ground, as we have seen too often with this government. Offering 25 hours’ free childcare has to mean that working with the full range of providers, we can ensure that flexible, high-quality care is actually available. I started my tour last week in South Swindon, where our fantastic candidate Anne Snelgrove is campaigning hard against Tory council cuts to children’s centres, talking to parents about our childcare offer.
And you can help too. I have launched a petition today for 25 hours’ free childcare for working parents. Add your name here and let us demonstrate just how many lives this policy could transform, helping to get Britain’s economy working for the right people.
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Alison McGovern MP is shadow minister for children and families
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