Affordable childcare key to securing welfare reforms
Joe Lepper
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Government welfare reforms need to be backed by investment in affordable childcare if they are to effectively reduce unemployment, says the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
In its report Childcare Matters: improving choices and chances for parents and children the commission found that lack of affordable places remains a major barrier for unemployed parents in finding work.
Baroness Margaret Prosser, EHRC deputy chair, said: "We need to see welfare reform and childcare provision as two sides of the same coin. When getting people back into work is a government priority, consideration of what those with young children do with them is a major issue."
The report found that one in five parents who pay for childcare struggle with the costs involved and a quarter of unemployed parents say lack of affordable childcare is preventing them finding work. Half of unemployed lone mothers said they would prefer to work but only if good-quality, affordable and reliable childcare was available.
Childcare also helps children to develop, says the report. It points to evaluation of pilots into free childcare hours for two-year-olds in disadvantaged areas that found improvements in vocabulary and parent-child relationships.
Baroness Prosser added: "This is also about improving children’s life chances and social mobility. Those with the most to gain are the least likely to have access to high-quality, affordable childcare."
Baroness Margaret Prosser, EHRC deputy chair, said: "We need to see welfare reform and childcare provision as two sides of the same coin. When getting people back into work is a government priority, consideration of what those with young children do with them is a major issue."
The report found that one in five parents who pay for childcare struggle with the costs involved and a quarter of unemployed parents say lack of affordable childcare is preventing them finding work. Half of unemployed lone mothers said they would prefer to work but only if good-quality, affordable and reliable childcare was available.
Childcare also helps children to develop, says the report. It points to evaluation of pilots into free childcare hours for two-year-olds in disadvantaged areas that found improvements in vocabulary and parent-child relationships.
Baroness Prosser added: "This is also about improving children’s life chances and social mobility. Those with the most to gain are the least likely to have access to high-quality, affordable childcare."
