LIB DEMS WELCOME PROPOSALS FOR FREE CHILDCARE FOR EVERY FAMILY (Scarborough and Whitby Liberal Democrats)

Scarborough and Whitby Liberal Democrats <info@scarboroughandwhitbylibdems.org.uk>

LIB DEMS WELCOME PROPOSALS FOR FREE CHILDCARE FOR EVERY FAMILY

December 3, 2008 6:00 AM

Children and parents in Scarborough will benefit from new proposals for free childcare for every family, claims a leading local Liberal Democrat.

Tania Exley-Moore, Lib Dem PPC, has welcomed the proposals, launched by Party Leader Nick Clegg, which offer parents:

• 19 months of paid parental leave, replacing current maternity and paternity leave arrangements. To get the maximum entitlement, parents will have to share the leave as no parent will be able to take more than 12 months

• Free and flexible childcare for children aged between 18 months and 5 years for 20 hours per week

• A commitment to improve the quality of childcare provision by expanding the role of children's centres as training institutions for local providers

"I am very pleased Nick Clegg has launched these proposals," said Tania "Paying for childcare is a real struggle for many parents, particularly when times are tough.

The need for flexible and affordable childcare has never been more urgent. These proposals offer real help to families in Scarborough.

Nick Clegg said, "Britain is a long way off becoming a child-friendly country. Our childcare provisions are among the worst in Europe. They discriminate against workless parents and freeze fathers out of looking after their young children. What we need is a childcare revolution.

"With family budgets getting tighter, more parents are looking at going back to work or training to bring in some extra money. The need for flexible and affordable childcare has therefore never been more urgent.

The proposals will be debated at the party's conference in March.