When the Coalition Government published its mid term report recently, it provided the opportunity to list what goals the government wishes to achieve before the next election.
The details behind these aims will be fleshed out in the coming weeks.
Childcare is an issue which affects many working families. The report said the government will ‘invest to provide more help to working families to cut the cost of childcare and enable parents who want to go out to work to do so.’ The intention was also laid down to take action on improving the quality of childcare, to give more flexibility to professionals and to ensure that parents’ money goes further.
I know this will be of keen interest to many parents in the Beaconsfield constituency and elsewhere and they will be waiting to hear more of what is proposed.
One of my colleagues in government, the Under-Secretary of State for Education, Elizabeth Truss MP, set out some of the areas in an online blog earlier this month.
She pointed out that it is now the norm for families to consist of dual earners in the leading developed countries. As a country we cannot afford to miss out on the knowledge and contribution of women workers.
In a survey for the Department for Education, 50% of full time mothers said they would go out to work if they could find childcare which was affordable, reliable and good quality.
The minister pointed out the paradox that the present system means the costs of childcare to government and to parents are high, yet the people who are paid to provide care for young children are often poorly rewarded.
It is that paradox which must be addressed and consideration given to how countries with similar economies go about combining the provision of good quality care with flexible, affordable childcare for working parents.
