Boris Johnson promises 1billion fund for more childcare after school and in holidays

0
40

BORIS Johnson has promised a new 1billion fund for parents to help pay for more childcare after school and in the holidays.

As the Prime Minister prepares to unveil his manifesto this afternoon, he’s revealed one of the flagship promises for families will be more help for looking after kids.

Boris has promised more childcare for parents as part of his Tory manifesto

250million will be earmarked each year for extra care including more paid-for holiday clubs for children.

The news will be welcomed by hard-working parents who often struggle with childcare after school and when they break up for the summer.

And another 250million will be invested in hiring more staff for schools to run on-site care over the summer and in other holidays – with the hope of creating 250,000 extra places across England.

Boris declared: With new policies to cut the cost of living, support our fantastic NHS staff, help parents juggling childcare and work, and invest in a massive programme of infrastructure across the whole country we are offering hope and optimism where the Labour party only offer hate and division.

But Save the Children said it needed to help working families pay for childcare costs upfront under Universal Credit – something HOAR has campaigned for.

As part of our Make Universal Credit Work campaign we want to see help for parents to pay childcare fees upfront, instead of having to claim it back later.

Katie Till, Senior Government Relations Advisor at Save the Children says: Its great to see the Conservatives pledging more childcare support for parents, as we know childcare is the biggest barrier to work for mothers.

“Whilst we wait to see the detail in the manifesto, we are clear that any additional support for childcare needs to work for families struggling to pay childcare costs upfront under Universal Credit.

Other policies set to be revealed today include:

  • A tax triple lock to freeze rates of income tax, National Insurance and VAT for the next five years. This builds on the PMs announcement to raise the National Insurance threshold, saving 31million people 100 next year.
  • Cutting fuel bills by spending 6.3billion on insulation and energy efficient measures for 2.2million families in social housing.
  • Keeping the energy price cap to protect struggling families from sudden rises in heating bills.
  • Protecting OAP perks by guaranteeing the pensions triple lock, winter fuel payments and bus passes.
  • Bringing back NHS bursaries for nurses

The manifesto will also include record investments in the infrastructure, science funding and skills to help level up the economy.

It includes 2billion for the biggest ever pothole-filling operation and first steps towards a right to retrain with a 3billion new National Skills Fund. This will give individuals and small firms the chance to level-up with high-quality education and training.

Mr Johnson has taken every care to avoid a repeat of the mistakes made by his predecessor Theresa May whose 2017 manifesto bombed and cost her government its majority.

Ministers have been called into No10 to pore over the early drafts and encouraged to speak out if they have any misgivings.