Motion

Childcare Strategy

Motion TitleChildcare Strategy

Motion TextThat this Assembly believes that access to good quality and affordable childcare can help empower those parents who want to stay and progress in paid work; accepts that this, in turn, will contribute to the local economy; recognises the transformative role that good childcare can play in supporting the educational, social and physical development of a child; supports the aim of providing 30 hours of free childcare for 38 weeks a year for 3 to 4 year olds, in line with the rest of the United Kingdom; further recognises that there are significant pressures already on the budget of the Department of Education; and calls upon the Executive to implement a childcare strategy and any legislation required to enable this to proceed.

Motion CategoryPrivate Members' Motion

Date Tabled to Business Office25/02/2020

Date Selected By Committee03/03/2020

Date of Plenary Debate10/03/2020

View Official Report

Tabled By

Member Name	Tabled As
Mr Robin Newton	MLA - East Belfast
Mr Maurice Bradley	MLA - East Londonderry

Bills

Outcome/Voting

The Motion, As Amended, Was Carried by Oral Vote

Amendments

Selected Amendments

Number	Tabled Date	Amendment Text
1	04/03/2020	Leave out all between ‘help’ and ‘accepts’ and insert: ‘tackle disadvantage and poverty by closing the educational gap between the most and least advantaged children, can empower parents who want to stay and progress in paid work, and those who want to return to education or training;’

Other Amendments Tabled

Tabled Date	Amendment Text
06/03/2020	Leave out all after ‘child’ and insert: ‘and calls upon the Minister of Education, alongside the Executive, to introduce a fully costed, comprehensive early education and childcare strategy, and a legislative framework, to deliver a best practice model of early education and childcare which reflects the needs of all children, parents, providers and society, in terms of quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility, eligibility, setting and duration, and to learn from the experience of other jurisdictions by introducing an allocation of free childcare that is appropriate to Northern Ireland.’
06/03/2020	Leave out all after ‘Education’ and insert: ‘and that childcare provision is in need of investment; calls upon the Executive to implement a childcare strategy and any legislation required to enable this to proceed; and further calls upon the Minister of Education, alongside the Executive, to develop a report into the creation of a publicly owned national childcare agency aimed at ensuring free, universal childcare.'

Tabled Date

Amendment Text

06/03/2020

Leave out all after ‘child’ and insert: ‘and calls upon the Minister of Education, alongside the Executive, to introduce a fully costed, comprehensive early education and childcare strategy, and a legislative framework, to deliver a best practice model of early education and childcare which reflects the needs of all children, parents, providers and society, in terms of quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility, eligibility, setting and duration, and to learn from the experience of other jurisdictions by introducing an allocation of free childcare that is appropriate to Northern Ireland.’

06/03/2020

Leave out all after ‘Education’ and insert: ‘and that childcare provision is in need of investment; calls upon the Executive to implement a childcare strategy and any legislation required to enable this to proceed; and further calls upon the Minister of Education, alongside the Executive, to develop a report into the creation of a publicly owned national childcare agency aimed at ensuring free, universal childcare.'

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Childcare Strategy

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