UK Government Promises A Better Childcare System for Parents
It’s no secret to most parents that raising kids is an expensive business. Whether it’s food, clothes of the cost of fitting out a kid’s bedroom, it all adds up. Thankfully, the government has decided it needs to lend a hand, and it’s launching a new childcare costs scheme that could allow parents to claim back up to £1,200 in expenses per child every year.
According to government estimates, it costs an average of £6,000 annually to enroll one child into a nursery or play group. The idea behind the reimbursement scheme is that both parents can go out to work and still not lose out when it comes to organizing a childcare place for their little ones.
The finer details of the scheme are still being worked out, but it is scheduled to come into effect in 2015. At first it will cover the costs of care for children up to the age of five years old, but there are plans to extend this gradually over time so that eventually kids up the age of 12 will be eligible.
The problem with the current childcare costs system, which uses childcare vouchers, is that it is only available to employees of participating companies. It also pays costs per household rather than shelling out for each individual child. This new scheme will be universal, covering all households up to a cut-off point of £300,000 for a combined income.
Children’s minister Elizabeth Truss believes that this will offer working parents greater choice and flexibility, as “at the moment a lot of parents can’t go out to work because the cost of childcare is prohibitive.” It will also hopefully help boost the economy by allowing full or part-time carers to return to the workplace.
A great boon of the new system is that families who already use the voucher system will be allowed to continue to do so, but new applicants will be placed on the new system. Either way, parents stand to gain from these new proposals, meaning that they will have more savings to spend on family fun. If you want to treat your youngsters, check out the great range of kidspace furniture at isme, perfect for brightening up your home and making the most of your space.
Nickida
Nickida is a first-generation Trinidadian American wife and mother of four. She enjoys sharing recipes from her childhood growing up in Trinidad with her readers. Nickida has a son with Autism and shares posts around traveling with a child with special needs to help other families like her own. She loves television, movies and is a true 80's baby.
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