David Warburton, MP for Somerton and Frome, has welcomed the government’s announcement today that free childcare will be doubled to 30 hours per week. All three- and four-year-olds in working families will be eligible for 1,140 hours of free childcare per year – twice the current entitlement.
The offer of 30 hours of free childcare per week during term time is worth around £5,000 a year.
David Warburton MP commented, “Childcare costs can be a huge burden on family finances that prevents parents from working. This announcement will make a real difference to families in Somerset, giving parents the opportunity to return to work and hold on to more of their hard-earned money, while their children benefit from 30 hours of free, flexible childcare.”
The Childcare Bill will double free childcare available for all working parents of three- and four-year-olds to 30 hours a week. And to underline the government’s commitment to support working families, the Prime Minister is announcing plans to introduce the changes for some families a year earlier than planned, together with a commitment to review and increase the average funding rates paid to childcare providers (Department for Education Press Release, 1 June 2015)