James Naish, MP for Rushcliffe, has welcomed the government’s recent expansion of its landmark childcare support offer, with eligible local families now able to apply for up to 30 hours of funded childcare for children from 9 months old, saving £1,000s per child.
This new milestone forms part of an ambitious package of reforms to ease pressures on working families, to support parents into employment and to ensure children get the best possible start in life.
James Naish said: “Parents across Rushcliffe have told me that childcare is too often unaffordable, unavailable or too inflexible to meet their needs.
“From September, eligible working families with babies over 9 months old will be able to apply for 30 hours of government-funded childcare, a potential saving of up to £7,500 per child, every year. Combined with other policy announcements including free breakfast clubs and school uniform caps, some households could save as much as £8,000 per child.”
Applications are now open and funding will be available to working parents of children who will be at least 9 months old by 1st September. This expansion follows the previous rollout of 15 hours of funded childcare which is already benefiting nearly half a million children across the country.
Government data shows that lower-income families are seeing the biggest impact. One in five parents earning between £20,000 and £40,000 say they’ve increased their working hours since the 15-hour offer was introduced. Of those planning to increase their childcare hours this September, over half intend to work more.
James Naish continued: “This is not just a helping hand for families – it’s a huge boost for our economy. It gives parents the freedom to return to work or increase their hours. I’ve spoken to businesses in Rushcliffe who say this policy will make a practical difference.”
To support this expansion, the government is investing an additional £2 billion into early years provision, backed by the creation of thousands of new childcare places, the opening of school-based nurseries and the recruitment of 35,000 extra staff.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
“Labour has a clear Plan for Change to break the unfair link between background and opportunity across this country, which starts by ensuring our children start school ready to learn.”
“Through the hard work of the sector, supported by our record investment, landmark school-based nursery rollout and focus on vital early learning support, we will deliver an early years system that gives every child the best start in life.”
James Naish added: “This is a practical investment that will benefit families in every part of Rushcliffe – from Radcliffe-on-Trent and Keyworth to Gotham and East Leake. I’ll continue to champion policies that make life more affordable and more flexible for families in our part of Nottinghamshire.”
Families can check their eligibility and apply for the new offer by visiting: www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
