25 signatures reached
To: Government
Childcare cost
Childcare costs are diabolical! Maternity pay is for 9months and if your lucky 1year! However help with childcare doesn't start until your child is 2! The maths does not add up. Most people are forced back into work from 9months because financially living of maternity pay is unrealistic. Then on top of that your hit with a huge sum for nursery fees before they even start and we don't get 15 hours free until they turn 2 and then 30hours free when they turn 3! This has to change and I don't expect maternity pay to last 2 years so something has to give. Women go back to work when children are under a year old and get nothing towards childcare. The free hours need to be brought back to a younger age for working families to thrive. Bring the free hours for nursery down to a suitable age of which working parents can benifit from.
Why is this important?
It's important because I've had to drop down from 5 days to 3days work due to childcare cost being excessive. As a single mother 3 days is still crippling my pockets. I just don't understand why the 15/30hours free is not given at an early stage as maternity pay typically finishes at 9 months forcing most mothers to go back to work. To get the free hours at a younger age would be a great insensitive for more mothers to go back to work without the huge stress off cutting down on days and being financially unstable. What's the point in going back to work to use your pay for childcare costs? When we have other household bills that need paying and families to support.
