Response to Rishi Sunak’s post on childcare
“For too many, a career break becomes a career end.”
There is truth in this quote but what mothers want is for this career break to be valued for the important work that is being done – that we are nurturing our infants, that it is work and is not a ‘holiday’. When the time is right, it would be good to support mothers back into work with returner schemes and acknowledgement that they have gained important skills whilst childrearing. This is not necessarily at nine months when an infant still needs its mother or primary carer.
“A revolution in childcare…”
It certainly is a brave new social experiment. Can Rishi provide us with the scientific research which shows that this revolution will have better outcomes for our infants and toddlers?
“Almost half of non-working mothers say they would prefer to work if they could arrange childcare.”
Below are the results of the 2021 government Early Years & Childcare Survey of Parents:
MAHM would like to see:
An economic level playing field for parents who stay at home with the option of being taxed as a household with a transferable allowance for couples or an additional person’s allowance for single parents
Fair taxation for those who stay home and those who work
Childcare subsidies to follow the child, with parents able to choose whether they use it to stay home, or give it to a grandparent, childminder or external setting for care
Child benefit to be distributed fairly
All mothers to be eligible for their state pension regardless of whether they sign up to the Child Benefit or not
Further action?
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