Labour’s ‘raw deal’ on childcare is ‘holding families back’
Worryingly-low free childcare provision is holding families back, and symptomatic of how Wales is falling behind other UK nations under Labour, according to the Welsh Conservatives. The Party has announced a commitment to treble free childcare provision over the next Assembly term, providing 30 hours-per-week for the parents of three and four-year-olds. Wales has the least generous free childcare entitlement for pre-school children in Britain at 10 hours per week and the gap is widening, something Party leader Andrew RT Davies has said is “holding families back”. Speaking ahead of a visit to Daisy Day Nursery, in Llanishen, Cardiff, Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said: “Under Labour, parents in Wales get a raw deal. “Existing childcare provision in Wales is hugely concerning, and trebling this would be a priority for a Welsh Conservative Government. “Concerns around childcare act as one of the biggest barriers to employment and other opportunities for many families. It is clear we need to secure real change to move away from Labour’s restrictive, inflexible approach, which is holding families back.” Jayne Cowan, Welsh Conservative candidate for Cardiff North, and a former teacher, added: “Childcare remains one of the biggest worries, and challenges, for many Cardiff North residents, for whom prohibitive costs act as a major barrier to employment. “Parents and guardians deserve the security of reliable childcare provision, providing peace of mind and helping them to get on in life. Welsh Conservatives will ensure just that." Angela Burns, who speaks for the Welsh Conservatives on matters related to children, said: “A Welsh Conservative Government would work to ensure parents and guardians have more control to decide where and when their child goes to nursery, using their free childcare entitlement with greater flexibility. “By investing more money in free childcare, we can ensure Wales is not left behind, and that capacity is built into the existing system to deliver 30 hours-per-week for parents of three and four-year-olds across Wales."
