The government's new plans to help ease the (often astronomical) costs of childcare have been met with major criticism by parents and campaigners alike, as a rule change allowing nursery staffers in England to adopt a ratio of one adult per every five two-year-olds is announced. Previous guidelines stated a one-to-four ratio.
For some, the price of putting their child into a nursery is on par with their monthly rent or mortgage, meaning many women - devastatingly - make the difficult choice of not returning to work after having a child, or attempting the near-impossible task of balancing working from home with childcare.
Naturally, parents are airing concerns about the safety of children in light of ratio changes being an option and are expressing their anger that this is the 'solution' that those in power are offering (as opposed to... more free nursery places or investment in the childcare sector). Many have also pointed out that the money actually saved through these is minimal – as little as £2 per week, according to campaigners like Pregnant Then Screwed.
Purnima Tanuku, the chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), said via The Guardian, "From when this was first mooted, the sector has been saying that altering ratios for two-year-olds from 1:4 to 1:5 won't make any meaningful difference to the cost of childcare for providers or parents. That can only come from the government paying the full rate for funded childcare places for children under five.
"Many children are coming into early years settings with additional needs having been impacted by Covid restrictions. More children are struggling with language acquisition and with their personal, social and emotional development as a result. This is why now is not the time to be giving young children less support."
Reacting to the news, one social media user said, "Nurseries do not want higher ratios. They want proper investment. They are loosing qualified staff who deserve better wages. Early years education is important for both childcare and development. It should be affordable and staff paid properly. This plan will not help either."
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Another added, "Reducing quality will not encourage more mothers back into the workplace."
Founder of Pregnant Then Screwed (a charitable organisation committed to ending the motherhood 'penalty'), Joeli Brearley, said the group's research found just 2% of nurseries and preschools said they'd lower fees in light of the government's new proposed ratios, with many saying they wouldn't adopt a 1:5 setup. Brearley adds that the nurseries that said they would offer a 1:5 ratio noted the average change in fees would be about £2 per week, rather than the £40 suggested in the government's plan.
She said: "We’re furious that after months and months of talking to the government, showing them data that, for two-thirds of families, childcare costs the same or more than their rent or mortgage and is pushing parents into poverty, children into poverty, they've come up with a proposal to change ratios that won't reduce costs for parents but will just reduce quality."
In another move that has sparked concern over the quality of care being offered, the government have also announced that childminders will be offered greater flexibility and reduced inspections, in the hopes of encouraging more into the profession.
When discussing the changes, education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, said: "Every child deserves a great start in life and that means giving families the support they need. Childcare is an integral part of our economy, and these reforms prove again that this government is on the side of working families.
"I'm hugely grateful to the thousands of dedicated early years professionals who provide daily care and education to our youngest children, which is why I am determined to support them by giving them greater flexibility in how they run their services."
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
