NI Childcare costs require 'urgent' intervention as parents set to march in Belfast

Around 1,000 parents will take to the streets of Belfast this weekend as they call for reforms to "unaffordable" childcare in Northern Ireland.

The March for Childcare on Saturday, April 20, has been organised by Melted Parents NI and will feature a number of other parent and children support groups who are all calling for changes to childcare system here, which they say can cost £15,000 a year for just one child on average.

The group surveyed 270 parents and found that their total childcare bill equaled £3.2million, the equivalent of £11,800 each.

Read more: Northern Ireland Audit Office finds one in five children living in relative poverty

They say that throughout their campaigning they have received promises of urgent intervention from the Executive, however, nothing has materialised and bills have risen 11.5% since the return of Stormont.

Melted Parents also believes there is a " lack of true parent representation" in policy decisions and fear this could lead to a poorly designed strategy that will not work for children and families.

It says that unaffordable childcare is leading to some parents having to leave their jobs and that it has a ripple effect that leads to " further poverty for families, an unfair disadvantage for children and will further stunt the labour force and economy."

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland that does not have an official childcare strategy in place.

Raissa Balduino and Clare Loye, core members of Melted Parents and march organisers said: “The March for Childcare marks the culmination of almost 13 months of continuous lobbying for a Childcare Strategy. Although we’ve heard nothing but supportive feedback and promises of action from party representatives and the Executive, the only noticeable change is that childcare costs have gone up by over 20% since last June, burdening families even more.

"While it's disheartening that it has come to this point, we are excited for parents to have a visible opportunity to express their disappointment and demand change. This March serves as both a protest and a celebration of the power of parents and their growing political engagement.”

Casey McGivern, co-founder of Melted Parents said: “The turnout of almost 1,000 parents and children at the March for Childcare shows the Executive that parents have had enough, we cannot afford to stand idly by; immediate intervention is needed to support families and ultimately keep parents in jobs they’ve worked hard for. The Department must engage with parent representatives to ensure any policy is appropriately informed in order prevent misguided policy decisions that limit the positive economic impact of government funded childcare and cause further economic distress for families and local businesses who are struggling to recruit and retain talent.”

Melted Parents' urgent asks to the Executive are;

• Parents must be a key part of designing a new childcare system and included in short- and long-term intervention discussions.

• Urgent intervention is needed while we wait for long term childcare reform. Any financial support injected into the sector must resolve to financially assist the families’ utilising childcare, redress fee increases following the National Living Wage uplift and reduce their bills.

• Tax Free Childcare reform: We urge the Executive to call on the Treasury for an immediate removal of the cap on tax-free allowance and extension of the government contribution to families’ childcare accounts from 20% to 30%. Or alternatively, find a way to ‘top up’ the additional contribution from the block grant – this will have significantly positive impact on families who are at crisis point due to their childcare bill.

• Establish a sustainable childcare system: it is not good enough that a childcare strategy has been in the making for 25 years. The Executive must make childcare a political priority by delivering interim support measures to alleviate financial pressure on families, as well as a long-term childcare strategy, accompanied by a timeline for implementation.

Becca Harper, co-founder of Melted Parents added: “The March for Childcare is about showing our Executive that it’s crucial they grasp the urgency of the situation and take action to address the escalating costs that are burdening families across Northern Ireland. Despite assurances from the Executive, we're witnessing a troubling lack of tangible progress, leaving families feeling abandoned and overwhelmed. The March for Childcare turnout paints a stark picture of the challenges families are enduring, our Executive talk about economic prosperity – with thousands of parents forced to consider leaving the workforce because childcare costs more than their wages – this crisis effects everyone from the NHS workforce to local businesses”.

The March for Childcare will be supported by Reclaim the Agenda, a women's collective that campaigns around 6 key themes: poverty, discrimination, domestic and sexual violence, healthcare, childcare & equal representation, along with Several organisations that advocate for families and/or providers and lobby for childcare including SEN Reform, The Parent Rooms, Save the Children, Action for Children, DADBODS, Advice NI, and UNITE Registered Childminders NI.

Artistic groups such as the all-women drum band Chidambaram Samba and the award-winning Array Collective will also be participating in the event.

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