IPPR’s Post

New report from IPPR colleagues and Save the Children on making childcare work for more people. Highlights the large disparity in access to childcare between communities: "The more deprived or more rural a local area is, the fewer and lower-quality childcare options families tend to have. The most deprived areas have 32 per cent fewer places per child and 25 per cent fewer good (according to OFSTED) places compared to the most affluent areas. Rural areas have 31 per cent fewer places and 29 per cent fewer good places compared to inner cities and town centers." Helpful context for the Welsh government's objective to "bring services to people in order to reduce the need to travel” and the Scottish government's aspiration to do similar as part of its plans to reduce car traffic. Felt like a good reminder that transport strategies need to look beyond physical mobility to issues of spatial proximity. Throw in digital connectivity and you are on the way towards triple access planning (https://lnkd.in/e7ZsBDwN). #transport #childcare #spatialplanning https://lnkd.in/eKU4Eveu

Great to see this insightful report from Jodie Reed out in the world this week. It was a pleasure to support this as part of our partnership with IPPR at Save the Children. It's been a busy week or so for childcare more broadly with the announcements last week that the Government are aiming for 75% of children to be school-ready by 2028, and their follow up announcement this week that the Early Years Pupil Premium will be raised to £579 per child per year, alongside a £75 million expansion fund to help with the roll out of the expanded Working Families offer. These are positive first steps towards a more holistic approach to early years that supports rather than excludes children experiencing disadvantage. However, remains challenges facing the sector around broader funding rates and the lack of targeted funding for SEND support and children in deprived areas. It will be critical for the Government to address this if they are to meet their own early years target and ensure that all children have a fair start in life. You can read my blog about the report and Save the Children's focus on childcare moving forward. https://lnkd.in/eAigXPTy

Reimagining Ireland’s Childcare Model Parents in Ireland continue to face some of the highest childcare costs in the EU. Despite incremental relief provided through recent budgets, Ireland’s childcare system remains fragmented and unsustainable, straining family finances and limiting workforce participation. Dublin Chamber is calling for greater state intervention in the next Programme for Government. Moving to a publicly funded model of childcare will be vital to ensure a steady supply of affordable, quality childcare and to achieve a more sustainable and diverse labour market. Hear what our members have to say in the video below. Read our full priorities here: https://bit.ly/40dsagy #VoiceofDublinBusiness John Cunningham Sonya Lennon Lorraine Bowen Morgan McKinley Entrepreneurs Academy

Will this be the year things will turn around for childcare? Unfortunately, I don't think so......not driven by the government at least. The problems have repeatedly been covered by the likes of Coram Family and Childcare with their annual survey (check out 2024's below) and Pregnant Then Screwed bringing a speakerphone to the problem making sure it's heard loud and clear. Yet the solutions in response don't go deep or wide enough. I speak to parents every week who are frustrated and overwhelmed by the status quo, having to find workarounds and create their own solutions. But they are also some of the most resilient people I've met, especially in the face of such pressures, who ultimately just want to get on with life. It's why I love to see the market doing what I think it does best, with incredible teams of people working to solve problems in new ways all along the value chain, companies such as Bubble Koru Kids CocoRio Raise Kinsail tiney PonchoPay Pebble and in time Grove. It's easy to look at this problem space and see it as a parents' problem, or see it as a mothers' problem but what drives me is the fact that it's a problem - period. That's it. Just a fundamental belief that this problem should not exist. I'm looking forward to seeing the above, and the many more who I'm probably unaware of continue the fight towards a better future (I'm sure there are tonnes more so please tag those you know in the comments) https://lnkd.in/e-hRBbVg

Australian Politicians on Childcare: Different Views, Unified Importance David Leyonhjelm (Liberal Democrats): Criticises childcare worker qualifications, arguing for more affordable options focused on basic care. His views have faced backlash from childcare workers and advocates. Australian Greens: Advocate for early childhood education as vital lifelong learning, pushing for greater investment and value in this sector. Jason Clare (Labor Party): Supports "naming and shaming" pricey providers based on the ACCC report. Considering reforms like direct price controls to tackle high childcare costs. Anthony Albanese (Labor Party): Backs capping childcare costs at $10/day, viewing universal childcare as a "national asset" akin to Medicare. Aims to make childcare more affordable and accessible. Despite differing views, all parties agree: childcare is crucial for Australia’s future. #Childcare #Australia #Policy #Education #Affordability #QualityCare #BipartisanSupport

Employers: are you losing qualified workers because they can’t find childcare during the workday? Communities without enough childcare often struggle to retain working parents. But there’s a solution! We’re here to support Wyandotte businesses working to support childcare expansion. If you’re experiencing a workforce shortage due to a lack of childcare, we can help. Visit our website to learn about childcare tax credits. Share this post with other employers in need! https://lnkd.in/gzeKfTFJ

For anyone interested in some of the context around the proposed implementation of policy and initiatives connected to Scottish residential childcare , the undernoted link to an article written by Milligan & Furnival (2011) provides a fantastic overview of the rationale behind implementing the National Residential Childcare Initiiative (NRCCI, 2009). Although implementation wasnt fully realised and is still on hold It’s really interesting reading the article 13 years later & pondering on the ‘what if ‘ question! What If the NRCCI(2009) recommendations that were accepted by the Scottish Government were fully implemented by now ? Would the residential childcare sector be in a better place ? The article below points to the aspirations of the NRCCI (2009) & highlights lots of the same contentions that we are jostling with in the here and now . If you have a spare ten minutes , have a read & share your views with me . https://lnkd.in/etC78qA4 Milligan, I. & Furnivall, J. (2011). The Scottish children’s home: An evolving model of residential provision for vulnerable children. Children Australia, 36, 2, 66–73.

Two important tax updates took effect from Monday, 1 July 2024: Changes to the bright-line property rule If you sell a property on or after 1 July 2024 the bright-line property rule will only apply if the property is sold within 2 years of purchasing it. If you sell a property before 1 July 2024 the current bright-line periods still apply. FamilyBoost FamilyBoost is a childcare payment to help eligible households pay for the cost of early childhood education (ECE). If you're eligible you will be able to claim up to 25% of your weekly childcare fees, or a maximum of $975 every 3-months. Childcare fees can include optional charges and services. You can read more about both these updates on the IRD website, visit https://lnkd.in/gWsTaJVG for the bright line changes and https://lnkd.in/gXd6GmTD for more about FamilyBoost.

Why childcare matters. Episode 13 of Social Mobility Talks out today. Resham Kotecha speaks to Ed Davies Policy Director at the The Centre for Social Justice, about the important role childcare, family and early years all play in social mobility outcomes. https://ow.ly/lwGl50Up3un

Have you seen what changes the government have planned for primary schools? The government have recently announced the new National Wraparound Childcare (NWC) programme, making wraparound care more accessible for parents. By 2026, parents should have access to childcare from 8 am until 6 pm. Such big changes can seem daunting with questions around staffing, costs and overall operations of delivering before and after school provisions. Making decisions and changes now is imperative in delivering this programme successfully. How does outsourcing solve these issues? ✅ Organises everything for you including staff and the customer booking system ✅ High-quality and reliable staff delivering active and engaging clubs across different subjects ✅ Accept tax-free childcare vouchers and other payment options Read more about the impending changes in our latest blog and discover your solution: https://bit.ly/4adpKAE