Plans to double free childcare

The Government has announced plans to double free childcare for hard working families – which will benefit up to 50,000 parents in the South West to the tune of £5,000 per year.

The offer of 30 hours of free childcare per week during term time means parents will be able to get on while bringing up a family.

All three- and four-year-olds in working families will be eligible for 1,140 hours of free childcare per year - twice the current entitlement.

The £5,000 extra in savings is on top of the £2,500 they can already save from existing free childcare offers. The new support will run alongside the entitlement of 15 hours per week to the most disadvantaged 40 per cent of two-year-olds.

Childcare and Education Minister, Sam Gyimah said: “This is a triple win for 50,000 families in the South West, where local parents will be able to return to the work place and hold on to more of their hard-earned money while their children benefit from 30 hours of free, flexible childcare.

“Childcare costs can be a burden on family finances that prevents parents from working. We want to remove these barriers so those parents who do want to work can.

“This will give more support than ever before for families in the South West who need it most and a fairer deal for all of the region’s hard working parents.”

The doubling of free childcare for parents with three- and four-year-olds also follows five years of unprecedented government spending on childcare, with £5 billion spent on supporting the sector in the last year alone.

Thanks to the Government’s reforms, including free childcare and Tax Free Childcare, working families will be able to save thousands of pounds – extra money in their back pocket towards day to day living costs.

The extension of the free childcare entitlement will also provide an opportunity for existing childcare providers to expand and for new providers to enter the market – helping to build a stronger economy and give parents increased choice.

On top of this, the Government is also today committing to increase childcare funding rates paid to providers in different parts of the country – with a consultation on the level of uplift now set to begin before summer.