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A mother-of-three living in Monmouthshire has stated that moving just 10 miles into England could save her family more than £1,000 a month in childcare fees. Emily Broughton, 36, who works for an environmental charity, gave birth to twins in August and has a three-year-old daughter. She claims she is considering moving to England as the differences between childcare on the two sides of the border are “frustrating” due to the lack of support in Wales.
Families in England receive funded childcare hours for children aged nine months and older, but in Wales, many families have to wait until their children are three. According to Emily, she could save over £1,000 a month if they lived close to the border. The fees for her daughter Lottie, aged three, have recently reduced to £300 a month since September under a Welsh government scheme.
The Welsh government invests more than £100m per year in childcare for children aged two and over, with the Flying Start Scheme offering 12.5 hours of funded childcare a week to some two-year-olds in Wales for 39 weeks out of the year. When children are three and four, parents can claim up to 30 hours of funded childcare a week for up to 48 weeks a year – if they meet certain criteria.
However, Joeli Brearley from charity Pregnant then Screwed said that while the Welsh childcare system is more progressive than the system in England, the current model is “extremely inefficient”. She stated that it “penalises single parents and those who have multiple births and disproportionately benefits those on middle and high incomes who stand to gain the least from an affordable system”.
Emily said that there needs to be more support in Wales to encourage and keep women in work, regardless of the nature of the work they do. She added that families should be supported, especially if they are building their careers
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