The Childcare Reform

After 13 years since the last childcare reform, today has been long awaited. Jeremy Hunt announced the changes to childcare provision for the early years earlier today, allowing parents across the country a sigh of relief.

“For many women, a career break becomes a career end.Our female participation rate is higher than average for OECD economies, but we trail top performers like Denmark and the Netherlands.

If we matched Dutch levels of participation, there would be more than one million additional women working. So today I announce a series of reforms to start that journey.” - Jeremy Hunt

The announcement in a nutshell:

• Incentive payments of £600 for childminders who sign up to the profession, rising to £1,200 for those who join through an agency

• Increase the funding paid to nurseries providing free childcare under the hours offer by £204m from this September rising to £288 million next year

• Change minimum staff-to-child ratios from 1:4 to 1:5 for two-year-olds in England as happens in Scotland, although the new ratios will remain optional with no obligation on either childminders or parents to adopt them

• Introduce 30 hours of free childcare not just for 3-and-4 year-olds, but for every single child over the age of 9 months

We applaud this progress and look forward to more support in the coming years, especially for in-home childcare such as nannies!