Much has been written lately about Wales widening the eligibility criteria to allow non-working parents to qualify under its childcare scheme.
It is not totally new, as Professor Mark Drakeford talked about widening the criteria in his “Manifesto for Leadership” in 2018. This talked of widening the scope of the current childcare offer to being reviewed with an extension to women in training and those returning to work. This review is due for publication in 2020.
In the meantime, as childcare is such a complicated issue, The Global Payroll Association would like to point readers to the Gov.UK page that deals with childcare. This starts with the headline “30 hours’ free childcare” and gives details of the scheme. It then says that there are different schemes in the devolved nations which we want to point readers to:
- Scotland’s funded early learning and childcare scheme
- Wales’ “Childcare Offer for Wales scheme”
- Northern Ireland’s “Early Years” schemes
Global Payroll Association Comment
All the time we have to remember the devolved issues and consider that what England has does not have to be the same in the devolved nations. Whilst childcare is not strictly something that an employer should get involved with, it is something that they should know about.
So the comment that all children are entitled to 30 hours’ free childcare is not true as it depends on which nation of the UK you live in.
Much has been written lately about Wales widening the eligibility criteria to allow non-working parents to qualify under its childcare scheme.
It is not totally new, as Professor Mark Drakeford talked about widening the criteria in his “Manifesto for Leadership” in 2018. This talked of widening the scope of the current childcare offer to being reviewed with an extension to women in training and those returning to work. This review is due for publication in 2020.
In the meantime, as childcare is such a complicated issue, The Global Payroll Association would like to point readers to the Gov.UK page that deals with childcare. This starts with the headline “30 hours’ free childcare” and gives details of the scheme. It then says that there are different schemes in the devolved nations which we want to point readers to:
- Scotland’s funded early learning and childcare scheme
- Wales’ “Childcare Offer for Wales scheme”
- Northern Ireland’s “Early Years” schemes
Global Payroll Association Comment
All the time we have to remember the devolved issues and consider that what England has does not have to be the same in the devolved nations. Whilst childcare is not strictly something that an employer should get involved with, it is something that they should know about.
So the comment that all children are entitled to 30 hours’ free childcare is not true as it depends on which nation of the UK you live in.