Opinion: Keep care affordable
Brian Paddick, Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Today, few parents can afford to stay at home to look after their young children. Living costs mean that most parents don't choose to work - they have to work. This is especially true for London parents, who experience the highest cost of living in the UK, including childcare that is 25 per cent more than the average national rate. By cruel irony, London also has above-average child poverty rates. It is therefore essential that parents have access to affordable, quality childcare. As Mayor, I would make this a policy priority.
It's not that Ken Livingstone has done nothing; he just hasn't done enough. The Childcare Affordability Programme (CAP) came in response to the Mayor's own childcare strategy of 2003. Funded jointly by the London Development Agency and the Department for Children, Schools and Families and managed across the capital by Greater London Enterprise and run locally by individual councils, the CAP has done good work in subsidising childcare for low-income parents, and in providing flexible places.
But there are several problems with the CAP: it's temporary, it's inconsistent, and it fails to help the poorest parents.
So what should the next Mayor do? First, make the CAP permanent. The current pilot was launched in 2005 and is due to end later this year. But the CAP must be given a reprieve, with the LDA increasing funding, and the Mayor lobbying central government for support.
Second, the Mayor should work with GLE to ensure funds are allocated fairly across the city, and targeted at those who need them most. Inconsistency of access must be addressed.
Third, more nursery places should qualify for funding. Currently, only low-income parents using nurseries that cost between £175 and £205 per week can apply for help. The Mayor should order a review into the minimum level, which should be lowered, and possibly abolished.
The Mayor should prioritise greater access to affordable childcare for London's parents as a matter of priority.
All the evidence suggests that children, particularly those from poorer backgrounds, benefit from the experience of attending nursery.
