You are here: News Coram Family and Childcare responds to the Chancellor's Budget

In response to the Chancellor's announcements on childcare in today's Budget, Megan Jarvie, Head of Coram Family and Childcare, said:

Investment of this scale is great news for families struggling currently with childcare bills of over £14,000 a year for a one-year old and a game changing commitment to support families. The biggest help is directed at the youngest children, when costs are the highest and there is the least support available. The changes to Universal Credit will make a real difference to help middle and low income families move into and stay in work. Childcare is an excellent investment - it enables parents to work and boosts the outcomes of young children, particularly the most disadvantaged.

However, in order for this offer to live up to parents' expectations, it must be funded at a level that covers the costs of high quality care and delivered in partnership with the early years sector. Many providers find the current level of funding too low and we are seeing growing childcare shortages across the country. We will be doing the sums on this in the coming days.

We also need to make sure that childcare achieves its potential to narrow the achievement gap before children start school. Targeting support to children with working parents in higher income families puts this at risk, as it will mean higher income families receiving more early education and childcare than lower income families.

However, the decision to relax ratios is a move in the wrong direction - it does not put quality at the heart of delivery and is unpopular with parents and providers. Rather than fixing the problems in the childcare system - with recruitment and retention of professionals at forefront - it exacerbates them.

-ENDs-

For more information, please contact Emma Lamberton, Communications Manager, Coram at emma.lamberton@coram.org.uk / 0207 520 0427 / 07908 827908. For more information on childcare prices and availability, see our Childcare Survey 2023: https://www.familyandchildcaretrust.org/childcare-survey-2023-report-landing-page

About Coram Family and Childcare

Coram Family and Childcare works to make the UK a better place for families by bringing together what we learn from our on the ground parent-led programmes and our research to campaign for solutions that parents want and need. We focus on childcare and early years to make a difference to families’ lives now and in the long term.

pinwheel icon

Latest news