It is no secret that the new 30 hours free childcare incentive being phased in this year have the sole objective of getting people into work. The government did not consider any collateral benefits like improving the quality of Early Years Education or helping the most disadvantaged families to access good quality Early Years Education. Here we suggest this is a missed opportunity to help families that need it the most by funding childcare for families in education and training as well as working families.
Why is the 30 Hours Free Childcare being expanded?
The new entitlements are a continuation of the 2017 expansion to 30 hours free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds, with a focus on getting people into work. Under the new entitlements, by September 2025 all working parents of children from 9 months old will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare
The government expects the expansion to bring 60,000 parents into employment, working an average of 16 hours per week and a similar influence on those already working to increase their working hours.
The thinking behind the incentive is fuelled by an assumption that expensive childcare costs are the only barrier stopping people going to work. This might be true for many; but for the most disadvantaged families the situation is more complicated.
Why it is a mistake to not include families in education and training?
In our view the expansion of 30 hours free childcare is an excellent opportunity to make a significant impact on social mobility across the country, yet the current plans are likely to have the opposite effect.
Since the 1970s there have a multitude of incentives delivered in schools to improve social mobility and none of them have made any difference. This would suggest that schools are not to blame for low social mobility and that the answer lies elsewhere.
Disadvantage is passed down from one generation to the next. Parents in low income families often have not had good experiences in schools through no fault of their own and therefore not likely to have a positive attitude towards education, which is inadvertently passed down to their children.
This cycle can be changed through incentivising parents to re-enter education in adult life where they can have a more positive experience. Education in itself can be a powerful tool for improving aspirations and of course will allow low income families to seek better paid work, have higher status in society and become good role models for their children.
The expansion of 30 hours free childcare is a massive opportunity to get disadvantaged parents into education and training and it has been missed.
Is 30 hours Free Childcare causing Inequality in child development
Without the inclusion of education and training in the 30 hour free childcare entitlement it is likely that there will be limited uptake amongst the poorest third of families. With no qualifications and limited work experience parents just don’t have the confidence to enter the job market.
It has already been warned that the current inequality of access to the 30 hours free childcare entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds could be contributing to the education gap that exists when children start school.
In recent times children from poorer families have fallen further behind faced with the challenges of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.
Research shows that good quality early years education has the most impact for the poorest families and can considerably help with narrowing the attainment gap for when children start school.
Summary
There are skills shortages across the country and incentivising people to get back to work is certainly a good move for the country.
The problem is that this is a huge giveaway for many advantaged families across the country who are already working.
Meanwhile around 80% of single parents are on universal credit; many of them would jump at the opportunity to re-enter education and training so they can upskill, gain confidence and find better work.
Yet to benefit from the 30 hours free childcare they will have to take low paid and often inflexible work that keeps them in the cycle of disadvantage. History tells us that this will be passed down to their children, whatever incentives this or successive governments come up with to “improve education”.
