On the plus side, Sure Start children's centres, free nursery places and child benefit for 16- to 19-year-olds will continue. Also, new investment in childcare for two-year-olds from deprived families will get more children off to a good start in life.
However, families are set to lose out as support for childcare costs are reduced. The childcare element of the working tax credit will go down from 80 per cent of total childcare costs, to 70 per cent. This means a loss of up to £17.50 per child per week. We will also have to wait and see what exactly "rationalising and ending centrally directed programmes for children, young people and families" will mean for vital schemes such as family intervention projects.
Now the baton passes to local authorities, which will have more freedom and less ringfencing of budgets. They have a responsibility to protect spending on services that families rely on, in particular their obligation to provide sufficient children's centres. Only they can ensure families get the support they need to get through the tough times ahead.
