Single parents and childcare

Transcription

1 Single parents and childcare Introduction Childcare is a crucial element in single parent s lives. For many, finding and sustaining paid work is dependent on the availability of good quality childcare that is affordable and available at the times when they need it. The Government has made great strides in childcare and early education provision. The Childcare Act 2006, which built on the Government s Ten Year Childcare Strategy, improved access to childcare for working parents and requires local authorities to assess the local childcare market and to ensure there is sufficient childcare for working parents. The availability of free nursery places for three and four year olds has also enhanced parents access to childcare. However, single parents face specific challenges around finding the right type of childcare to fit in with their hours of work. They are more likely to work in jobs that are part-time and low paid and as a result are less likely to be able to be flexible around their childcare arrangements. 1 Single parents do not have another parent in the same household to share caring responsibilities with so childcare arrangements must fit more closely around one parents working hours, rather than two, and must be paid for out of one wage. This can limit the childcare options available as drop-off and collection times are often fixed, or expensive to adjust. Finding appropriate childcare has become even more of an issue for single parents as recent changes to benefit rules mean that single parents with children aged over 10 who previously claimed Income Support, will now have to claim Jobseekers Allowance, and actively seek work, 2 although pressure from Gingerbread among others means that parents who cannot find a suitable childcare place cannot be compelled to take work. From 2010, these rules will apply to single parents of children aged seven and over. Gingerbread believes that there are currently three major challenges for childcare policy: 1. There still isn t enough childcare for parents who need it; 2. Childcare is still too expensive for many single parents; and 3. There is a shortage of funding for childcare for single parents who are in training or in full-time education. This paper discusses these challenges and possible solutions. 1

2 1. There isn t enough childcare Many parents struggle to find sufficient childcare to fit in with the demands of working, however, in single parent families, the responsibility of finding childcare that fits in with the working day falls to one person rather than two. Gingerbread hears from many parents who have trouble finding childcare to fit around their hours of work. I have recently been made a single parent and trying to juggle 3 children and work [was] impossible. I had to give up my job as I started struggling physically and mentally keeping everything going by myself. The difference is that even when a single parent is feeling really ill we still have to keep going for the children and that can delay us getting better with the constant pressure. I certainly didn t choose this way of life, everything was easier when I had a partner especially going to work. Over recent years the nature of the labour market in the UK has dramatically changed. The service sector has expanded and more people in the UK work longer hours than anywhere else in the EU. These changes have meant that people increasingly need to access services outside the standard working hours of nine to five. In combination with the globalisation of the UK economy, this has led to the growth of a society that requires people to work atypical hours 3. Most nurseries close at 5.30pm, but if you are in a job and need to work until 5pm or later and have 45mins or an hour travel you can't do the job. So the hours of childcare ideally should be flexible, and this requires funding for the nurseries to stay open a bit later I guess... National Centre Childcare provision for after-school care or for atypical hours has not kept pace with changes in the labour force, meaning that the childcare assessments carried out by local authorities in April 2008 found that 93% of local authorities reported gaps in provision, including breakfast clubs and after-school clubs, holiday care and provision for special needs and disabled children 4. Recent Government changes to ask single parents to enter paid work were not accompanied by a strategy to solve some of the problems associated with the lack of provision and high cost of childcare. Research carried out by the Department for Work and Pensions in 2007 looking at families with children in Britain found that over a quarter (27%) of families said that there was not enough childcare in their local area 5. More recent research by the Daycare Trust in July 2009 found that while the availability of holiday childcare was slowly improving in England there were still serious concerns about holiday provision overall, with only one third of the English Families Information Services in local authorities saying that there was enough holiday childcare for all children. The report concluded, There continue to be particular gaps in sufficiency for disabled children and children aged 12 and over in all three nations, which is of particular 2

3 concern bearing in mind the government s welfare program which encourages single parents with older children to make themselves available for work or face cuts to their benefits 6. In Gingerbread s recent survey of single parents with children aged over 12 who had been moved onto Jobseekers Allowance, respondents reported that there was a scarcity of provision, especially for older children. I want to know that my 13 and 11 year old boys are being properly supervised/cared for if I have to take a job that doesn't fall within school hours. Also, what about school holidays? There is a complete lack of affordable and accessible childcare available for teenage kids - how can I leave my sons at home unattended all day if I have to work through them? What is the Government going to do about that? Gingerbread would welcome a more comprehensive approach to single parents and paid work, with specific attention paid to childcare provision and the different needs of single parents. Childcare in semi-rural areas is non-existent if there are no childminders around. My son is 10 and there is no childcare available near to his school as the two childminders are full. How is a single parent supposed to work then if she/he does not have family or friends to support him/er? Childcare options need to be built around the changing needs of families and the changing needs of parents. More comprehensive provision of childcare would not only help the growing proportion of single parents who are obliged by law to work but also the many two parent families where both parents work. The structure of the childcare system must reflect people s changing work patterns and lifestyles. More facilities for childcare for older children [are needed] during the school holidays. Childminders are geared for primary school children but once a child reaches secondary school there is little provision for their care. They are not old enough to look after themselves while a parent goes to [work]. As children enter formal education, their childcare needs change and extended schools and kids clubs play more of a central role in the childcare of older children s lives. A parent s working day finishes much later than school does and out-of-school services do not have anything near enough universal provision. The childcare sufficiency assessments following the Childcare Act 2006 identified gaps in the following areas: children of school age, holiday care, care to cover unusual working hours and care for disabled children 7. In Gingerbread s recent report examining the experience of single parents asked to claim Jobseeker s Allowance, Signing on and Stepping up? caring for disabled children was a particular problem. The parents in our sample often described complex issues that made work difficult for them, in 3

4 particular their own poor health or their children s problems 8. At a time when single parents who were previously claiming Income Support are being told that they must now work, there is little change in the provision of after school care for secondary school age children, children with special needs or who are disabled. Gingerbread wants to see the Government produce a clear strategy to address childcare gaps. Particular attention should be paid to holiday care, care for older children, and care for disabled children. 2. Childcare is still too expensive for many single parents. Affordable childcare is vital for single parents, half of whom live in poverty. Single parents on a low wage can receive Working Tax Credit to help with childcare, however, it is complicated to claim and only covers 80 per cent of the cost of childcare, up to a weekly limit of 175 a week for one child, and 300 for families with two or more children. Gingerbread has long argued that low income families should not have to shoulder the extra 20 per cent of costs associated with childcare. Increasing the childcare element of Working Tax Credit to cover 100 per cent of the cost of childcare would cost the Government around 420 million 9 but would have a much lower net cost as it would help parents to access employment. Bearing in mind the Government s push to get all single parents who are currently on benefits into paid work, more resources need to be directed towards childcare that supports parents to work. The process of claiming tax credits and reporting changes remains timeconsuming and complicated. Parents must report average costs, and although changes in costs of less than 10 do not have to be reported in calculations, single parents still report that the system is complicated with many errors in calculations. Gingerbread believes that a system paying actual rather than averaged costs would be easier for single parents to understand. Many single parents childcare costs rise in the summer holidays and yet they receive the money for this as a percentage each month throughout the year, which means that parents often end up in debt during the summer months due to higher demand for childcare. Gingerbread first highlighted this disparity between the actual cost of childcare and the money received in 2003 when we called for a system that accurately shadows the cost of childcare. However, we are still waiting to see any system of this sort developed. Until a system which pays the actual cost of childcare is developed, families will continue to struggle to pay more for childcare during the summer holidays and many will either go into debt or be forced to cut back on essential items, such as food or fuel. Although working tax credit does have an element of childcare (which is good) it is still a hugely expensive option. Over summer I work for around 4

5 50 per week purely because I pay 33 a day for two children in childcare. Consequently I am in overdraft from about the end of July and don t really catch up until the new year. Community based and church based childcare facilities are open mid morning till mid afternoon meaning my kids can t go to these either. After-school clubs want to charge 5 a session per child which is more than I am able and willing to pay. The high cost of childcare across the country prevents some parents from using childcare. According to the Daycare Trust s annual Childcare Costs Survey, childcare costs have gone up year on year ahead of inflation, and despite the complicated array of means-tested help, childcare still remains beyond the reach of some families 10. For example, in Outer London the typical weekly cost of childcare in 2008 was and this has risen to (a mean of) in Although many families can get help with their childcare costs by claiming the childcare element of Working Tax Credit if they claim the main element, only one in ten recipients take up the additional childcare element- partly due to the complicated eligibility criteria 11. Childcare is too expensive even with the help that they give you on tax credits it s still too much to pay each week without causing hardship. There is no one available to look after children when schools are on holiday or teacher training days or when they are ill. Gingerbread wants to see: the childcare element of Working Tax Credit cover 100 per cent of the cost of childcare in place of the current 80 per cent. The Working Tax Credit system simplified to pay the actual cost of childcare so that single parents do not go into debt during the summer months. Targeted promotion of the childcare element of Working Tax Credit in areas where take up is below average. 3. There is a shortage of funding for childcare to assist single parents who are in training or in full-time education Gingerbread is concerned about the inability of single parents to access further education due to a shortage of funding for childcare. This autumn we heard from an increased number of single parents wanting to access further education courses who have been told that there are no funds available and the Learner Support Fund, which would normally pay for childcare, has run out of money. Government funding for the Learner Support Fund needs to keep in line with demand. Single parents who access the New Deal for Lone Parents (NDLP) may be entitled to financial support to pay for childcare if they are undertaking a course which the advisor considers may help them to move into work. Although Jobcentre Plus guidance indicates that courses at and above NVQ 5

6 level 3 can be considered in this category, in practice we find that single parents are regularly told that they cannot access support to study at this level. In addition, we have found that lone parents are not aware that they need prior approval from their New Deal advisor before enrolling, so parents who have taken the initiative to find a course may not be funded by Jobcentre Plus. In this situation single parents must turn down opportunities to train and forego training and further education as they simply cannot afford to pay the childcare costs themselves. The Department for Children, Schools and Families recently introduced Free Childcare for Training and Work to assist parents who wish to study. While this is a step in the right direction, the scheme is restricted to partners in couples. Gingerbread believes that it is unfair to exclude single parents, especially bearing in mind the Government s push to get more single parents into paid work. The Governments rational for this restriction is that funding for single parents already exists. However, evidence suggests that many single parents cannot access childcare support as their courses are not at NVQ level 3. Gingerbread would like to see this policy reviewed to include level 3 courses, which would be in line with the recent emphasis on parents upskilling and moving into work. As single parents look to increase their training and employability, government should actively support this by meeting the associated costs of childcare. Gingerbread wants to see: Better funding for the Learner Support Fund to enable single parents to train and boost their employability. Specific guidance issued to Jobcentre Plus staff that reminds them that childcare within the New Deal for Lone Parents should be offered to single parents who undertake courses at NVQ level 3. Single parents allowed to access the Free Childcare for Training and Work scheme. Conclusion Childcare is central in determining whether single parents can take up paid work. Gingerbread believes that families should make their own decisions about how to balance work and home life and this makes for happier, healthier families. Single parents struggle to find adequate childcare to fit around part-time work and there are very few schemes for older children, especially teenagers. At a time when single parents of secondary school children who were previously claiming Income Support are being told that they must work, there is little improvement in the inadequate provision of after school care for secondary school age children. Affordable childcare is one of the most important issues for single parents as they are supporting a family with one wage. The childcare element of Working Tax Credit is a lifeline to many single parents in paying for childcare but unfortunately, it is complicated to claim and only covers 80% 6

7 of the full cost of childcare, which can sometimes make the difference between being financially better or worse off in work for single parents. Many single parents are unable to access further education due to a shortage of funding for childcare. Single parents have told Gingerbread that they have enrolled in training courses to assist them into work, only to discover that the money set aside which was promised to them to cover their childcare cost, has run out. Meaning many single parents have to withdraw from their training or university place at the last minute as they cannot afford their children s childcare costs. Gingerbread recommends the following changes in the three areas we have identified: Lack of childcare We would like to see a Government strategy to actively address childcare gaps, with particular attention paid to holiday care and the scarcity of care available for older children and care for disabled children. Cost of childcare We believe that the childcare element of Working Tax Credit should cover 100 per cent of the cost of childcare. The Working Tax Credit system should be simplified so that the actual cost of childcare is paid. Government should undertake targeted promotion of the childcare element of Working Tax Credit in areas where take up is below average. Childcare to support training Better funding for the Learner Support Fund to enable single parents to train and boost their employability. Specific guidance issued to Jobcentre Plus staff that reminds them that childcare within the New Deal for Lone Parents should be offered to single parents who undertake courses at NVQ level 3. Single parents should be allowed to access the Free Childcare for Training and Work scheme. Finally, looking ahead, it is obvious that government s role, although central, is not the only determinant in whether families successfully balance childcare and work; employers also have a large part to play. Gingerbread would like to see a change in culture where employers adopt a flexible approach to work and engage with employees to develop ways to balance work and care responsibilities. One parent told us she would like to see: [More] support [and] training for employers on how to be family friendly - supporting part-time working, flexible hours, home working, an understanding of what it means (e.g. arriving late or leaving early; 7

8 flexibility for when children are sick and school holidays) but also the benefits of employing parents. Gingerbread will be undertaking further work on how employers can do more to make their workplaces family friendly. 1 Only 47% of working lone parents work full-time. Dan Philo, Natalie Maplethorpe, Anne Conolly and Mari Toomse (2009) Families with children in Britain: findings from the 2007 Families and Children Study (FACS) Page 4. Tables 5.4 and This is due to change in October 2010 to single parents with children aged under 7. 3 Anne Kazimirski, Ruth Smith, Sarah Butt, Eleanor Ireland and Eva Lloyd. (May 2008) Childcare and Early Years Survey 2007 Parents Use, Views and Experiences. National Centre for Social Research. 4 Office for Public Management (OPM) (2008). Reviewing Childcare Sufficiency Assessments, Report for the DCSF, May. London: OPM 5 Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). (2009) Families with children in Britain: findings from the 2007 families and children study (FACS). A report of research carried out by the National Centre for Social Research on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. 6 Holiday childcare costs survey The Daycare Trust. July Garnham, A and Knights, E. Daycare Trust. (2009) Back to the Future- the case for universal childcare. Childcare futures. Policy insight paper 2. 8 Peacey, V. (2009). Signing on and Stepping up? Single parents experience of welfare reform. Gingerbread. 9 This estimate assumes no eligibility changes, and is factored up from existing tax credit spending, see HM Revenue and Customs, Child and Working Tax Credit statistics, April Walfolgel and Garnham (2008) Eradicating Child Poverty: Childcare and Child Poverty, London: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. 11 Kazimirski A, Smith R., Butt S., Ireland E., Lloyd E. (2008) Childcare and Early Years Survey 2007: Parents Use, Views and Experiences. Research Report DCSF- RR025: DCSF 8