An annual survey by Workingmums.co.uk shows that over half of the working mums struggle with care for children of school age during school holidays and after school.
- 57 per cent have a problem with childcare for school-aged children.
- 61 per cent of mums not currently working said the high cost of childcare made it difficult for them to return to work – up from 57 per cent last year.
- 45 per cent rely on grandparents to cut down on childcare costs.
During our last general election, the campaign said lots about childcare and being family friendly. However, the emphasis was primarily on 3 – 4 age group. As you can see, the prime concern for 57 percent was care for the 5+, i.e. children of school age. The increase of free childcare for 3-4 year olds and the new tax-free childcare scheme arriving in early 2017 for each child under 12 will not help them. Possibly because eligibility for the new scheme requires both parents to be working in order to claim the 20 % tax relief.
14 % of their respondents were not sure if the Government plans for childcare would help them or not since a third of them, claim tax credits and face cuts to childcare support.
A constant throughout was the cost of childcare, which seemed to be the main barrier for mums wishing to return to work.
In an effort to minimise the cost of childcare it seems that the grandparents are ever present, 45 percent of those who took part in the survey admitted that they relied on grandparents for childcare.
What the survey did show, is that sharing more equally is on the increase, 38% saying they would consider Shared Parental Leave. However, even though there is an increasing appetite for equal responsibility the percentage is down on last year by 6%. The possible reason for this decrease is because the legislation surrounding Shared Parental Leave is quite complex.
The survey results show there are significant problems with the cost and availability of childcare and with the kind of flexible childcare options that parents are increasingly demanding. In the last general election, childcare featured prominently, yet most of the focus was on early years. Childcare for school-aged children consequently remains a particular problem and parents feel that this not being addressed by government policy.
It would appear that in the rush by Government to encourage mums back to work they have forgotten about the provision of childcare for school age children. Not all schools run breakfast or after school clubs.
Whether run privately or by the school there is still a time by which the children can start or must be collected by.
Will we ever have a system that satisfies every parent? Probably not. Will the Government turn its attention to school age childcare?