Finding engaging and safe care for their children whilst maintaining a working lifestyle is a big cost and worry for parents. Many often turn to parents or grandparents to look after their children, for over 10 hours a day in some cases. This is why, in a new scheme to help working parents, the government now allows children as young as two years of age to start going to Nursery schools.
Education minister Liz Truss set out the plan earlier this year, writing to local councils to suggest new rules that nurseries should widen their intake, as well as suggesting longer opening hours to help parents and children alike.
This scheme does not only benefit the parents with their work commitments, but will also help to improve the academic ability of toddlers and prompt a more fulfilling education life in their later years. Children that are engaged and professionally looked after will help them with basic life skills, such as communication, simple problem solving and a curiosity to play and around and learn, which could be lost through alternative means.
Unlike these alternative means, schools and nurseries are much better equipped to help children with basic skills, such as age-appropriate classmates, engaging in stories, singing and creative activities like painting, colouring and completing fun puzzles. This, combined with a current shortage of affordable childcare, will put many parents at ease when it comes to the safe and fair upbringing of their children.
This scheme however is not as straight forward as sending your children to school for 7 hours a day. As detailed on the government website, this free early education is on the basis of certain requirements (See below) for 2 years olds, and those 3 and above are limited to a time frame of 570 hours of free education a year. This is often taken as 15 hours each week for 38 weeks of the year. Read more on the requirements for 2 year olds below:
You must be getting one of the following:
Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) and have an annual income not over £16,190
the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Working Tax Credits and earn £16,190 a year or less
Children are also entitled to a place if:
they’re looked after by a local council
they have a current statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education health and care plan
they get Disability Living Allowance
they’ve left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order
Read more on this here:
https://www.gov.uk/free-early-education