The position on free entitlement

Despite its introduction nearly 15 years ago, free entitlement, formerly known as the Nursery Education Grant, remains a hot topic, continuing to be the subject of much debate between parents, child-carers, local authorities and the government.

As a working mother myself I fully understand what it's like to have a desire to return to work once you consider your child is old enough. Having worked hard building up a career, gaining qualifications and experience, many women aren't content to resign themselves to being stay-at-home mothers.  However, in recent years our government has taken away much of the financial support for families - in April 2000 married couple's allowance was abolished; the income threshold for claiming child tax credits has been reduced; child benefit is to be means tested from January 2013... All of these changes take their toll on the pockets of the average working-class family. And, with inflation and the cost of living rising considerably, it's not surprising that most families consider free entitlement a god-send as it gives them a reduction off their childcare bills.

But, the simple fact is that free entitlement was not designed to enable parents to return to work by reducing the cost of their childcare. The initiative was intended to offer those children from the most deprived of families the opportunity to access good quality childcare. When free entitlement for two-year-olds was implemented it was not rolled out to every child, only those most disadvantaged, giving some 130,000 children an opportunity that it's unlikely they might otherwise get. The question is, why roll out free entitlement to all three- and four-year-olds, but only some two year olds?  Could it be that free entitlement for three- and four-year-olds has been positioned all wrong by the government?  

After all, are we really expecting the government to pick up the tab for childcare costs nationwide? While it's true that we have the highest childcare costs in Europe, we all make life choices and accessing childcare based on a need or desire to return to work is simply a life choice, in the same way that having children is.  

Now here's a thought – perhaps, as part of the government's comprehensive overhaul of the benefits system they should throw increased support for working parents into the mix? We already have child tax credits, designed to support those who work and pay for childcare, the scheme just doesn't extend far enough, helping every parent who struggles with childcare costs. Free entitlement would then be available only to those two-, three-and four-year-olds who would not be able to access early years without it.  This approach would support all children accessing childcare, but with emphasis on those most disadvantaged. Parents would be free to make real choices about which nursery their child attends. It would also free up PVI nursery providers from having to subsidise the government's nursery education initiative.