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Daycare Trust and Joseph Rowntree Foundation report on childcare and child poverty
Childcare reforms could dramatically cut the number of children living in poverty.

Daycare Trust joint chief executive Alison Garnham and Jane Waldfogel, Professor of Social Work and Public Affairs at Columbia University and research associate at CASE, London School of Economics, have contributed a chapter to the new Joseph Rowntree Foundation publication: ‘What is needed to end child poverty in 2020?’.

This contribution, entitled ‘Childcare and child poverty’ provides an assessment of the critical role of childcare policies in ending child poverty by 2020.

The report sets out how, with further improvements, childcare policy can continue to play a key role not just in reducing poverty for today’s children, but also in improving outcomes and preventing poverty for the next generation.

Alison Garnham and Jane Waldfogel argue that:

• Solutions must be found to address the need for childcare at atypical hours and for out of school and holiday care.
• Investment is needed to raise the quality of early years education and care, so it promotes children’s health and development, reducing poverty for the next generation.
• Their upper-bound estimate suggests that childcare reforms could move as many as half of the children in poverty today out of poverty, while our lower-bound estimate suggests that childcare reforms could move one-sixth of children in poverty today out of poverty.

Their report recommends:

• The free childcare entitlement for three and four year- olds must be truly free;
• Government must ensure that it is taken up as much by low-income as higher-income families;
• The Government must fulfill their commitment to extend the entitlement to two year olds;
• the free part-time childcare provision is set in the context of an integrated education and care approach for families who need wrap-around care for longer hours or care during atypical hours
• Close the two-year gap between the end of paid maternity leave and the start of the entitlement to free part-time childcare when a child is age three.
• Remove the childcare element from the Working Tax Credit and either include it under the Child Tax Credit or make it a separate programme.
• Raise the maximum rate of subsidy to in the childcare element to 100% of costs (from its current maximum of 80% of costs) and raise the cap for reimbursable costs for a second or higher order child.
• Eliminating the work hours requirement for low-income families to access childcare assistance.

Ends.

NOTES TO EDITORS

• Jane Waldfogel is Professor of Social Work and Public Affairs at Columbia University and research associate at CASE, London School of Economics.
• Alison Garnham is Joint-Chief Executive of Daycare Trust, a trustee of the End Child Poverty Campaign and sits on the Social Security Advisory Committee.

Click on this link to read the publication in full: http://www.jrf.org.uk/bookshop/details.asp?pubid=1028

Daycare Trust is the national childcare charity, campaigning for quality affordable accessible childcare for all and raising the voices of children, parents and carers. We advise parents and carers, providers, employers, trade unions and policymakers on childcare issues. We recognise that everyone is unique and we value difference in our communities. We listen to all views and are committed to act without prejudice. We oppose all discrimination and promote equality in all we do. Daycare Trust is the national childcare charity, campaigning for quality affordable accessible childcare for all and raising the voices of children, parents and carers. We advise parents and carers, providers, employers, trade unions and policymakers on childcare issues. We recognise that everyone is unique and we value difference in our communities. We listen to all views and are committed to act without prejudice. We oppose all discrimination and promote equality in all we do.

Daycare Trust is calling on the government to:

• Meet parents' aspirations for universal childcare services by:
  • expanding free places for two, three and four-year olds to at least 20 hours a week, for 48 weeks in the year and
  • subsidising out of school activities for all 11-14s and for younger children from poorer families, aiming ultimately to make them free.
• Tackle the affordability crisis by giving local authorities the means to develop sustainable services in poorer areas and provide free places for those missing out, including places for disabled children, parents needing out of hours care, Further Education students and parents of under-threes who want to train.
• Raise the bar on childcare quality by expanding the Graduate Leader Fund, developing a new generation of childcare professionals and paying them properly.

Daycare Trust runs an information line (020 7840 3350) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10am-5pm. Parents can also visit www.daycaretrust.org.uk for information.

Daycare Trust is a member of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, www.ecpc.org.uk.

For further information, contact press office at Daycare Trust on 020 7840 3350, ext 217 (out of hours 0780-4508768).