WIREDGOV

Responding to plans announced by the government yesterday (Tuesday) to reform childcare provision, TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said:

'Childcare in this country is far too expensive, fails to fit around people's working lives and is undervalued as a profession.

'By cutting tax credits, freezing child benefit and withdrawing it for higher earners the government has made childcare even more unaffordable. The closure of hundreds of Sure Start centres, despite promising to protect them, has also made it harder to access affordable places.

'But deregulating childcare is not the solution. It will not reduce costs and instead risks reducing the quality of care. We need significant investment in childcare and wide reaching reform. Today's announcement fails on both grounds and will not be welcomed by parents.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

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Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Alex Rossiter T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07887 572130 E: arossiter@tuc.org.uk