Links to recent childcare news items
March 2017
CHILDCARE COSTS Most expensive regions for childcare in the UK revealed – here’s how to find out the average cost in your area
February 2017
1 in 7 fathers take childcare lead
www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/1-in-7-fathers-take-childcare-lead-xln3b20np
January 2017
Grandparents 'miss out' on National Insurance pension perks
Tens of thousands of grandparents are missing out on National Insurance (NI) credits which could be worth more than £230 a year when they retire, a former pensions minister has said.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38654321
November 2016
Childcare "key to reducing inequality"
"Childcare was found to have the biggest impact of any single policy because it would enable parents to work or to work longer hours. That is apart from the impact that quality childcare can have on helping children develop."– BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-37966847
Workers "cutting hours" because of childcare costs
"More than one in four UK business leaders say employees have cut their hours because of the "high cost of childcare", a report from the British Chambers of Commerce says." – BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37962800
Nursery provision in "crisis", warns Labour
"Figures obtained by the Labour party show the number of early years places fell by more than 45,000 between 2009 and 2015." – Nursery World
www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1159451/nursery-provision-in-crisis-warns-labour
October 2016
Are childcare costs unfairly stopping parents getting a mortgage?
"New research from uSwitch has discovered one in six families who applied for a mortgage in the last ten years say they’ve been turned down or offered a lower loan because of childcare costs. – uSwitch
www.uswitch.com/blog/2016/10/24/are-childcare-costs-unfairly-stopping-parents-getting-a-mortgage/
September 2016
A trial of the "30 hours free childcare" scheme has begun in eight areas, but does free mean free?
www.madeformums.com/news-and-gossip/30-hours-of-free-childcare---will-my-child-get-it/38143.html
August 2016
Caroline Dinenage MP is appointed Minister for Women, Equalities and Early Years:
www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1158552/caroline-dinenage-is-named-early-years-minister
July 2016
Working parents face summer childcare struggle
“Families face a struggle to find summer holiday childcare as councils across Britain report a lack of places” - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-36836958
July 2016
Working parents hit living standards ceiling due to high childcare costs
“Even with the National Living Wage of £7.20 an hour, working full time does not get you to a minimum standard of living if you have to pay for full-time childcare” - Joseph Rowntree Foundation
www.jrf.org.uk/press/working-parents-hit-living-standards
July 2016
Childcare minister announces review of GCSE requirement rule
“Currently practitioners qualified as early years educators at level 3 have to have at least a C grade in GCSE maths and English to be counted in staff-child ratios. However, many in the sector have warned that this is making it increasingly difficult for employers to recruit suitable staff” - Pre-school Learning Alliance
www.pre-school.org.uk/news/2016/07/childcare-minister-announces-review-gcse-requirement-rule
June 2016
30-hour free childcare pledge in jeopardy, say MPs
“David Cameron’s promise of 30 hours of free childcare a week for nursery-age children is in jeopardy because too few early-years providers are willing to offer places” - Guardian
May 2016
BBC childminder portrayal backlash
“The sector has accused the BBC of negatively portraying childminders after a drama showed one leaving her convict husband looking after several children.” – Nursery World
www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1157395/bbc-childminder-portrayal-backlash
April 2016
Childcare recruitment 'catastrophe' looms
“The requirement for new nursery staff in England to have good GCSE passes in English and maths will lead to "catastrophic" staff shortages and should be scrapped, campaigners say.” – BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-36114767
April 2016
Nurseries 'could close' due to government's 30-hour free childcare plan
“Increase in free care for three to four-year-olds could see cuts in level of care for other age groups and negative financial impact on businesses.” – The Guardian
www.theguardian.com/society/2016/apr/20/nurseries-close-government-30-hour-free-childcare-plan
February 2016
Family & Childcare Trust Annual Childcare Costs Survey
“Over the last Parliament the cost of a part-time nursery place for a child under two has increased by 32.8 per cent.”
February 2016
Nannytax Annual Nanny Wages survey
“In Central London... there has been a substantial rise in the live out salary for a nanny, from £32k annually to £35k.”
www.nannytax.co.uk/images/PDFs/NT-2015_wages-survey_annual-report_V1_spreads.pdf
February 2016
13th Annual 'Cost of a Child' report from LV
“The biggest increase over the year has been 4.3% for childcare costs.”
www.lv.com/life-cover/cost-of-a-child
December 2015
RIAS 7th Annual ‘21st Century Grandparent Army’ Report
“Britain's grandparents save mums and dads £15.7bn each year in childcare costs.”