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Election 2019: Labour and Lib Dems pledge extra childcare support | |
(about 11 hours later) | |
Both Labour and the Lib Dems have pledged extra money to support the parents of young children. | |
Labour vowed to spend £1bn on opening 1,000 new early years centres in England, saying they would get parents back to work and help children achieve. | |
The Lib Dems are promising working families subsidised care for children from the age of nine months. | |
Lib Dem education spokesperson Layla Moran said the £14.6bn policy was "an investment in the country's future". | |
The Conservatives say they are already "investing record amounts in high-quality childcare". | The Conservatives say they are already "investing record amounts in high-quality childcare". |
Childcare providers have expressed scepticism at the lack of funding details and warned of an "electoral arms race" on childcare promises. | Childcare providers have expressed scepticism at the lack of funding details and warned of an "electoral arms race" on childcare promises. |
On a visit to Leeds with shadow Labour education secretary Angela Rayner, Mr Corbyn will promise to open a new generation of Sure Start centres, which provide health, welfare and education services for pre-school children. | |
Ms Rayner said she was proud of the policy, since she went to a Sure Start centre when she had her son at the age of 16 that she said taught her to "love and nurture and read to my child". | |
"My mum couldn't read or write and didn't know that cuddling and giving love to your child is really important," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | |
"Sure Start really changed the life chances for my children and I'll be forever grateful for that." | |
Asked whether all parents, regardless of income, should be offered help from Sure Start centres, she said they were about more than a household's financial situation. | |
"I'm talking about not having the basic understanding of how to nurture a young child and any parent can be put in that situation." | |
She said the UK could afford to invest more in support for young children. | |
"We can't afford not to do it because we know that anything we try to do after the early years is playing catch up," she said. | |
Giving parents more free childcare would help them back to work and support the economy, she added. | |
'Positive impact' | 'Positive impact' |
According to a report from the Sutton Trust last year, up to 1,000 Sure Start centres have closed in the past decade, with funding pressures being blamed. | |
Labour says it will "reverse the cuts" in the centres which were originally launched when Tony Blair was prime minister. | Labour says it will "reverse the cuts" in the centres which were originally launched when Tony Blair was prime minister. |
An analysis from the Institute of Fiscal Studies earlier this year said Sure Start had made a positive impact, with evidence that the health advice had "significantly reduced" the numbers of children being admitted to hospital. | An analysis from the Institute of Fiscal Studies earlier this year said Sure Start had made a positive impact, with evidence that the health advice had "significantly reduced" the numbers of children being admitted to hospital. |
But the financial think tank said it had been a story of a "fast roll-out followed by deep spending cuts", with spending peaking at £1.8bn in 2010 and then being cut to £600m by 2017-18. | But the financial think tank said it had been a story of a "fast roll-out followed by deep spending cuts", with spending peaking at £1.8bn in 2010 and then being cut to £600m by 2017-18. |
The IFS puts the number of closures at about 500 sites - half the Sutton Trust estimate. | The IFS puts the number of closures at about 500 sites - half the Sutton Trust estimate. |
Labour has also restated its commitment to providing 30 hours-a-week of childcare for all two-to-four-year-olds, as part of its overall £4.5bn childcare package. | Labour has also restated its commitment to providing 30 hours-a-week of childcare for all two-to-four-year-olds, as part of its overall £4.5bn childcare package. |
Mr Corbyn said opening a Sure Start centre in "every community" would "unlock the potential of every child". | Mr Corbyn said opening a Sure Start centre in "every community" would "unlock the potential of every child". |
He said: "Parents are struggling to afford the childcare support they need, while many children are going hungry and growing up homeless." | He said: "Parents are struggling to afford the childcare support they need, while many children are going hungry and growing up homeless." |
Childcare from nine months | Childcare from nine months |
The Liberal Democrats are unveiling their own childcare plans - offering 35 hours a week of care for all parents of two-to-four-year-olds. | |
This would be available for working parents from when their children are nine months old. | This would be available for working parents from when their children are nine months old. |
The Lib Dems say this will be funded by "fair tax changes", which they say means "making sure that big businesses pay their share". | The Lib Dems say this will be funded by "fair tax changes", which they say means "making sure that big businesses pay their share". |
The party's education spokesperson said investing in childcare was "an investment in the country's future". | |
"It doesn't just help in terms of high early years provision making school children school ready, but also in closing that gender pay gap, which is incredibly important." | |
Ms Moran told the Today programme the total cost of the policy was £14.6bn, which was "fully costed" as part of her party's manifesto. | |
"It's going to be an expensive policy we've been very upfront about that," she said. | |
"The true cost to child care providers of doing this is more than has been provided." | |
At present working parents of three- and four-year-olds in England are entitled to 30 hours' free childcare a week - and the Conservatives say they have increased the funding and quality of childcare provision while in government. | At present working parents of three- and four-year-olds in England are entitled to 30 hours' free childcare a week - and the Conservatives say they have increased the funding and quality of childcare provision while in government. |
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, welcomed Labour's promise for new Sure Start centres. | Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, welcomed Labour's promise for new Sure Start centres. |
But he raised concerns about funding the promises - and whether there would be adequate levels of payments for nurseries and childcare providers. | But he raised concerns about funding the promises - and whether there would be adequate levels of payments for nurseries and childcare providers. |
"This is a positive policy for the thousands of parents struggling to afford childcare - but the lack of detail on how it will be funded will strike fear into the hearts of many providers. | "This is a positive policy for the thousands of parents struggling to afford childcare - but the lack of detail on how it will be funded will strike fear into the hearts of many providers. |
"We currently have a funding shortfall in the early years of two-thirds of a billion pounds. That shortfall, which has led to thousands of provider closures, is a direct result of an ongoing electoral arms race between political parties to entice parents with 'free childcare' without thinking through how it will be paid for. | "We currently have a funding shortfall in the early years of two-thirds of a billion pounds. That shortfall, which has led to thousands of provider closures, is a direct result of an ongoing electoral arms race between political parties to entice parents with 'free childcare' without thinking through how it will be paid for. |
"It has meant that very few parents receive truly 'free' childcare and has ultimately pushed up prices for non-funded hours." | "It has meant that very few parents receive truly 'free' childcare and has ultimately pushed up prices for non-funded hours." |
More on the election |