Motion

High Quality Affordable Childcare

Motion TitleHigh Quality Affordable Childcare

Motion TextThat this Assembly recognises that the costs of childcare are unaffordable for many and that hard-working families are struggling every month to meet these costs; further recognises that the childcare sector is in need of urgent and significant investment in order to put the sector on a sustainable footing, to improve terms and conditions for workers and to deliver the high quality and accessible provision that families and children deserve; notes that without affordable childcare provision many people, particularly women, are unable to take up or return to employment; agrees that affordable childcare would have a hugely positive impact on our local economy; acknowledges that high quality childcare and early years education can help to give children the best start in life, support children with Special Educational Needs to help address educational disadvantage and promote emotional health and well-being amongst children; and calls on the Executive to work collectively to deliver a strategy which makes high quality childcare affordable for all families a priority.

Motion CategoryPrivate Members' Motion

Date Tabled to Business Office06/02/2024

Date Selected By Committee06/02/2024

Date of Plenary Debate12/02/2024

View Official Report

Tabled By

Member Name	Tabled As
Mrs Cathy Mason	MLA - South Down
Miss Nicola Brogan	MLA - West Tyrone
Mr Danny Baker	MLA - West Belfast
Ms Liz Kimmins	MLA - Newry and Armagh

Bills

Outcome/Voting

The Motion, As Amended, Was Carried by Oral Vote

Amendments

Selected Amendments

Number	Tabled Date	Amendment Text
1	08/02/2024	Leave out all after the last ‘help’ and insert: ‘prevent educational disadvantage and promote emotional health and well-being amongst children: calls on the Minister of Education to listen to the views of parents and businesses by way of a deliberate consultation; and further calls on the Executive to work collectively to deliver a strategy which makes high quality childcare affordable for all families a priority.’

Other Amendments Tabled

Tabled Date	Amendment Text
07/02/2024	Leave out all after ‘well-being amongst children; ’and insert: ‘further acknowledges the failure of the free hours model being implemented in England; understands that early years education and childcare can play a key role in tackling the stubbornly high rates of poverty and child poverty in Northern Ireland; values the voice of parents in the development and implementation of the strategy and calls for their inclusion in the consultation process; calls on the Minister of Finance to write to HM Treasury to request an increase or removal of the cap on the tax-free allowance and the extension of tax relief from 20 per cent to 30 per cent as a measure to immediately support parents with unaffordable childcare costs; and further calls on the Executive to work collectively to deliver a strategy which makes high quality childcare affordable for all families a priority’
08/02/2024	Leave out all after ‘well-being amongst children;’and insert: ‘calls on the Minister of Education to work with his Executive colleagues to deliver an ambitious, child-centred and fully funded strategy, co-designed with parents and providers that includes a plan to invest in the childcare sector and cap costs by no more than parents can afford no later than 100 days after taking office or to make a progress statement to the Assembly; and further calls on the Executive to agree a package of immediate support for parents and make a collective approach to HM Treasury to lift the £2,000 cap on tax-free childcare to allow more parents to benefit from the scheme.’

Tabled Date

Amendment Text

07/02/2024

Leave out all after ‘well-being amongst children; ’and insert: ‘further acknowledges the failure of the free hours model being implemented in England; understands that early years education and childcare can play a key role in tackling the stubbornly high rates of poverty and child poverty in Northern Ireland; values the voice of parents in the development and implementation of the strategy and calls for their inclusion in the consultation process; calls on the Minister of Finance to write to HM Treasury to request an increase or removal of the cap on the tax-free allowance and the extension of tax relief from 20 per cent to 30 per cent as a measure to immediately support parents with unaffordable childcare costs; and further calls on the Executive to work collectively to deliver a strategy which makes high quality childcare affordable for all families a priority’

08/02/2024

Leave out all after ‘well-being amongst children;’and insert: ‘calls on the Minister of Education to work with his Executive colleagues to deliver an ambitious, child-centred and fully funded strategy, co-designed with parents and providers that includes a plan to invest in the childcare sector and cap costs by no more than parents can afford no later than 100 days after taking office or to make a progress statement to the Assembly; and further calls on the Executive to agree a package of immediate support for parents and make a collective approach to HM Treasury to lift the £2,000 cap on tax-free childcare to allow more parents to benefit from the scheme.’

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High Quality Affordable Childcare

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