Newly re-elected Prime Minister David Cameron has announced plans to double the amount of free childcare available to young parents.
The families of three- and four-year old children are currently entitled to 15 hours of free childcare a week but an increase to 30 hours per week will now be included in the Queen’s Speech at the state opening of Parliament later this month. The increase was a Conservative commitment.
The Prime Minister said:
“I think for so many families in our country it’s absolutely essential that they get that help with childcare, so that people who want to work and want to work more hours or longer shifts, or more shifts to bring home more money, are able to do that.”
The Chief Executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, Purnima Tanaku, welcomed the announcement but said more money would be needed to make the commitment a reality.
It was, she said, “incredibly important that nursery providers are funded properly to make these plans sustainable.”
“We are looking forward to working with the childcare minister, Sam Gyimah, to make sure the funding review goes ahead, as soon as possible and secures a meaningful increase in funding for childcare providers.”
Tory MP Sam Gyimah was recently reappointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Childcare and Education in the Department for Education.
