Post by northwestman on Jan 2, 2023 12:10:51 GMT 1
Rishi Sunak has shelved plans for a major overhaul of the childcare system aimed at saving parents money and helping them back into work.
Liz Truss had been looking at increasing free childcare support by 20 hours a week and ending mandated staff-child ratios in what her team described as a “big bang” shake-up of the system.
But The Telegraph understands the policy drive has been postponed indefinitely, with the scale of reforms now being considered expected to be much smaller.
Any proposed changes to the rules around childcare provision are not expected for months – a much later timescale than Ms Truss’s push for announcements before Christmas.
Some Tory backbenchers have privately voiced surprise that proposals to help families with childcare costs have been given less emphasis since Mr Sunak took over.
Although he has scrapped many of Ms Truss’s flagship policies, there were hopes in some quarters that the scale and urgency of his predecessor’s childcare plans would be kept.
The cost of childcare is often named by MPs as a major concern for constituents, with backers of reform arguing that better, cheaper provision would allow more parents to return to work and boost the economy.
Liz Truss had been looking at increasing free childcare support by 20 hours a week and ending mandated staff-child ratios in what her team described as a “big bang” shake-up of the system.
But The Telegraph understands the policy drive has been postponed indefinitely, with the scale of reforms now being considered expected to be much smaller.
Any proposed changes to the rules around childcare provision are not expected for months – a much later timescale than Ms Truss’s push for announcements before Christmas.
Some Tory backbenchers have privately voiced surprise that proposals to help families with childcare costs have been given less emphasis since Mr Sunak took over.
Although he has scrapped many of Ms Truss’s flagship policies, there were hopes in some quarters that the scale and urgency of his predecessor’s childcare plans would be kept.
The cost of childcare is often named by MPs as a major concern for constituents, with backers of reform arguing that better, cheaper provision would allow more parents to return to work and boost the economy.
