Nursery World - Opinion: In my view - Parents need flexibility

Labour has not been short of commitment or ideas in its attempt to improve the opportunities for parents, but it has failed to effectively reform a key piece of a regressive system that continues to constrain choice.

Britain's system of parental leave is one of the most backward in the developed world, making impossible demands of those parents who are most in need, while redistributing wealth to the wealthy.

The outdated system offers parents no flexibility in their work/life balance, while funnelling more and more money to cover childcare costs has allowed nurseries to become unresponsive to the diverse needs of modern parents. Tax credits and childcare vouchers have been ineffective in bringing help to those most in need, and have encouraged a runaway and unsustainable increase in nursery spaces.

With occupancy rates falling to 70 per cent, nurseries have found it hard to keep their businesses open. And the cost of childcare has soared beyond the reach of the poorest.

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