West Yorkshire mums back calls for major overhaul to childcare system

Parents in West Yorkshire are demanding more help with the cost of childcare as a big petition is handed into Downing Street.

The group Pregnant Then Screwed are calling for the issue to be properly addressed in the upcoming Spring Budget.

“We will be hand-delivering a letter to 10 Downing Street from tens of thousands of parents who are at the end of their tether with this,” says the group’s founder Joeli Brearley.

“We know already that mothers are leaving the workforce in droves as a result of childcare costs, we know that childcare providers are closing their doors because they cannot afford to operate, that childcare professionals are leaving the sector because they’re being paid so badly.

“We’re just sick of saying the same thing over and over again and being ignored. We really need to see something in the Spring Budget on the 15th of March for childcare, and when I say ‘something’ I don’t just mean millions of pounds, we need at least two billion pounds of investment.”

We’ve been speaking to mums at the group ‘Mama’s Got Moves’ in Leeds, which was set up by dance teacher Sita who was struggling with her OWN childcare issues…

A Government spokesperson said: “We recognise that families and early years providers across the country are facing financial pressures. That’s why we have spent more than £20 billion over the past five years to support families with the cost of childcare.

“This Government has doubled the entitlement for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds to 30 hours and introduced 15 free hours a week for disadvantaged 2-year-olds.

“On top of this, working parents on Universal Credit may be eligible for help with up to 85% of their childcare costs through Universal Credit to support with the costs of childcare.”