After a week of manifesto launches, we now know what the nationwide parties are pledging to do for families in the UK. We have called on the next government to make sure that every parent is better off working after they’ve paid for childcare and that every child can access high quality childcare to boost their learning. All the manifestos include steps towards this becoming a reality. We have also prepared a downloadable fact and question sheet you can use to ask your local candidates about their commitments to improve childcare in your constituency.

The Conservative Party

In 2015 election, the Conservative Party made the ambitious pledge to 30 hours of free childcare for three and four year olds of working parents, and the full roll out of this policy starts in September. This year’s manifesto builds on this work, with a commitment to consultation on how they can best improve childcare, learning from policies from other countries. The party remain committed to improving the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills in the early years so that ‘all pupils – regardless of background get the best possible start in life’. This pledge will include building on the success of the phonics screening test. They will work to increase the supply of childcare places by encouraging all new primary schools to be built with a nursery provision.

The Labour Party

The Labour Party has made radical childcare pledges. This is part of their commitment to rolling out a National Education Service, which will cater for citizens ‘from cradle to grave’. They would overhaul the existing childcare system in which subsidies are given directly to parents, transitioning instead to a system of high quality childcare places with direct government subsidies. They plan to significantly increase the amount of free childcare available for preschool children, extending the 30 free hours to all two, three and four year olds, and move towards making some childcare available for one year olds as well as extending maternity pay to 12 months. Alongside these pledges, they have committed to halting the closure of Sure Start centres, and increasing funding levels.

The Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats, like Labour, are making ambitious pledges. The party are committed to introducing more flexibility for working families. The party are calling for a ‘long term goal’ of 30 hours free childcare a week for all two, three and four years old, and to the children of working parents from the end of paid parental leave. This would start with providing 15 hours a week for all two year olds, and then prioritise 15 hours childcare for all working parents with children aged between nine months and two years. They would encourage new fathers to take time off with an additional month’s paid paternity leave and encourage employers to provide more flexible working, making this a ‘day one’ right, so that there is a presumption that work is flexible unless there is a clear business reason it cannot be.

The Green Party and UKIP

As well as this, The Green Party and UKIP have put forward fresh childcare commitments in their manifestos. The Greens want free universal early education and childcare for all children, with formal education starting at age 7, whilst UKIP have advocated extending the primary school day by offering wraparound childcare from 8am to 6pm during term time as well as creating a fund worth £80 million a year to help childminders and smaller childcare providers employing five people or fewer to open their doors to more children with special needs.