Education Secretary promises £8billion childcare package so parents won’t have to choose between having kids or a career
THE Education Secretary has promised Sun readers an £8billion package of childcare will end the agonising choice between having kids or a career.
Gillian Keegan is today announcing £100million for councils to increase nursery places ahead of the expansion of free help.
She is also launching an online tool for hard-pressed parents to take in the most support available.
Last Spring’s Budget outlined plans to offer 30 hours per week free care for children aged nine months up to three years by September 2025.
Speaking exclusively to the Sun, Ms Keegan said that no parent “should have to choose between having a career or having a family”.
She added: “I’ve seen so many women that I’ve worked with having to forgo a career, or forgo a promotion or the next opportunity.
“So it is really important.”
She brushed off fears that there will not be enough childminders to cope with the influx of support planned by ministers.
Under the package two-year-olds will get 15 hours free childcare from April 2024, extending to nine-month-olds by the following September.
Asked if the rollout could be accelerated for mums and dads clobbered by crippling childcare costs, she said: “To be honest it’s already a really, really quick programme.”
Town halls are today also learning their lot of £289million funding for primary school children to have wraparound 8am-6pm.
Labour’s Helen Hayes said: “Without more details about whether this is new money, how many places it will provide and how new childcare will be staffed this pledge isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.”