Commission an independent review of childcare funding and affordability
The Parliament petitions site records 113,704 signatures for this petition, which closed on 26 November 2021. The Government responded on 23 June 2021. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 13 September 2021.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Commission an independent review of childcare funding and affordability
We have the second most expensive childcare system in the world. A full time place costs, on average, £14,000 per year, making it completely unaffordable for many families. Parents are forced to leave their jobs or work fewer hours, which has a negative impact on the economy and on child poverty.
Childcare workers are paid so badly that 1 in 10 are officially living in poverty. Meanwhile, a lack of funding has resulted in 2,087 childcare settings closing in England in the first 3 months of 2021 when provision was already low. Without good quality, affordable childcare the 'levelling up' agenda will fail. An independent review would explore what the Government needs to do to ensure we have a childcare sector that works for families, children and the economy.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 23 June 2021; the petitions site lists the Department for Education as responsible. Its summary:
The Government is not currently planning a review of the childcare system. Support is available to help with childcare costs, and the Government monitors the sustainability of childcare providers.
The opening 386 words of the 627-word response:
We know that the cost of childcare is a key concern for parents which is why the government has made an unprecedented investment in childcare over the past decade.
All three- and four-year-olds in England are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare each week, providing children with high-quality early education and helping parents to return to work. Disadvantaged families in England are also eligible for 15 hours of free early education a week for their two- year-old children.
30 hours free childcare was introduced in England in September 2017 and is an entitlement for working parents of three- and four-year-olds, benefitting around 345,700 children in January 2020. It aims to help working parents with the costs of childcare so they can take up paid work if they want to or can work additional hours. To be eligible, both parents, or a single parent, must earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at national minimum/ living wage (for parents aged 23 or over, this would work out at just over £7,400 per year) and less than £100,000 per year.
All the department’s entitlements provide free early education for parents across 38 weeks of the year. They can also be “stretched” if parents wish to use fewer hours over more weeks and this is an option their childcare provider offers.
We have spent over £3.5bn in each of the past three years on our early education entitlements and the government continues to support families with their childcare costs. The Chancellor announced on 25 November 2020 a £44 million investment for 2021-22, for local authorities to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers for the government’s free childcare entitlement offers.
In addition to the free early education entitlements, the government offers Tax-Free Childcare for children from 0-11 years old, or up to 16 if disabled. This scheme means that for every £8 parents pay their provider via an online account, the government will pay £2 – up to a maximum contribution of £2,000 per child each year, or £4,000 if disabled.
Working parents on a low income may also be eligible for help with up to 85% of their childcare costs through Universal Credit Childcare. This is subject to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1108 for two or more children, payable in arrears.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 1,028, came from Walthamstow.
113,429 of the signatures were from the UK and 275 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Walthamstow | 1,028 |
| Lewisham West and Penge | 902 |
| Lewisham, Deptford | 809 |
| Dulwich and West Norwood | 692 |
| Camberwell and Peckham | 654 |
| Streatham | 652 |
| Leyton and Wanstead | 635 |
| Tooting | 634 |
| Hornsey and Wood Green | 619 |
| Hackney North and Stoke Newington | 616 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| London | 25,967 |
| South East | 20,516 |
| East of England | 11,572 |
| North West | 11,228 |
| South West | 10,430 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 7,615 |
| West Midlands | 7,187 |
| East Midlands | 6,730 |
| Scotland | 4,400 |
| North East | 3,146 |
| Wales | 3,100 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,263 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 13 September 2021. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/586700.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
d22fd20ff4a122fc… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.