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Affordable childcare can be the
key to encouraging
parents into work
More childcare support from housing providers could remove the barrier to work for many people, especially women
With the Easter holidays upon us, many families will be wondering what to do with their children. Many social landlords provide community activities, but they could have a greater impact by providing childcare.
A report from the Centre for London in 2012 found that less than half of social housing tenants were employed, while 70% of private renters and 80% of homeowners were working. The report also found that 49% of single parents in social housing in London were not in work or jobseeking – 4% more than the national average for single parents.
Lack of affordable childcare acts as a barrier to employment. A recent study from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found that childcare costs the average family 30% of their income, a similar proportion to mortgage repayments. The IPPR report also found that more mothers worked when childcare costs amounted to just 10% of family income.
It's a matter for concern for many families. "It wouldn't be cost-effective for me to work without access to some form of affordable child care," says Tanya Mocket, a mother of two primary-aged children in Feltham, who benefit from an after-school club, run at affordable rates by parents.
Currently free childcare is limited to 15 hours a week, and starts from the age of three. The IPPR say this needs to increase to 30 hours or more to encourage more mothers into work.
Recent announcements by Nick Clegg in the 2014 budget introduced some new measures, aimed at helping families with the cost of childcare. The extra support for working parents, through higher tax credits and more tax-free childcare vouchers, is welcome. However, the case remains that families, and in particular single parents and those on the lowest incomes, will still face high childcare costs.
More worryingly, the new measures indicate a move in the opposite direction to the universal guarantee of childcare for all children up to age 14 that many landlords have been calling for. In the current context, social landlords are helping in different ways. Some are facilitating various forms of childcare by making spaces available while also investing in work support programmes. New Charter Housing Group, sponsor of two secondary schools and one primary, is running breakfast clubs and tots-and-mums clubs in their communities.
"All our work is part of our desire to engage with the community and enhance extra-curricular activities to raise aspirations," says Tony Powell, executive director of neighbourhoods.
Family Mosaic invested just under a million pounds on employment support for their tenants in 2013/14, £100,000 on training and £30,000 on supporting childcare costs to enable tenants to access the training programmes. These measures are part of their manifesto to encourage 1,000 tenants into work in three years, with 756 tenants finding work so far.
Mark Molloy, employment and skills development manager, explains: "We are also training parents as would-be childminders and are in the process of creating a mobile crèche that will save around £10,000 of our cost of providing childcare for our parents."
Sharma Jude, a 30-year-old mother who was unemployed for eight years, took the childminding training programme and has now found a job. "Taking the childminder course has changed my life and I never thought that this could happen," she says.
Peabody is investing £500,000 in new premises as part of the Pembury Circus development in Hackney that will create extra spaces for a nursery on the estate, which is also subsidised by the landlord. Breakfast and after-school clubs are set to start in September.
"It is often the small changes that make a difference", says Claire Reindorp, head of community project development. "One of our mothers had to turn down a job offer because she was unable to start work as early as 8.30am because she had to take her children to school. With the option of a breakfast club, she wouldn't have been in this position."
Another way landlords can help is by providing much-needed education. "Housing associations can play a role in ensuring families know about the free childcare and the financial support they can get," says Jill Rutter, head of policy and research at the Family and Childcare Trust.
Although still in the early stages, devising ways of supporting communities by removing the childcare barrier to work is an area where frontline housing providers can really make a difference. With more support around childcare, more parents will be able to work, unlocking their careers and fulfilling their potential.
Laura Shimili
7April 2014
