Party leaders to outline vision for childcare
Tony Blair and Michael Howard will try to win parents’ votes today as they set out their plans for allowing families to take more control over how they care for their children.
The Prime Minister will explain how Labour wants to build on its record expansion in nursery places by making care more flexible, while the Conservative leader will outline plans to allow parents to spend childcare grants where and how they want.
Speaking later today, Mr Blair is expected to set out the contribution of childcare to Labour’s new focus on creating an “opportunity society”. He will promise to put an end to “latch-key” kids by providing affordable, school-based childcare for all primary school children between 8am and 6pm.
Also today, the Conservatives leader will explain how his party would reform Labour’s childcare tax credits. Parents would be relieved from many of the bureaucratic obligations under the current system, and would have more freedom to spend some of the credits on hiring childminders.
He will also outline plans to make it easier for grandparents to become qualified childminders, and to increase maternity pay – although he is not expected to name a set amount.
