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Today (Friday 2 February) the Department for Education launches a new major national recruitment drive and is trialling a £1,000 cash sign-on bonus to provide nurseries and early years services with the staff they need, and for parents More childcare spaces.
The recruitment drive comes as latest figures show 102,480 children are already registered on the system, reflecting strong demand across the country ahead of the start of the first phase of the biggest-ever expansion of free childcare in April.
The scheme was launched to save working parents up to £6,500 a year with 30 hours of full benefit, doubling down on this Government’s commitment to delivering a brighter future for the UK, improving economic security and opportunity for everyone.
Education Minister Gillian Keegan said:
“Parents shouldn’t have to choose between career and family, and our expanded child care services will ensure that.
“Hundreds of thousands of parents with two-year-olds will receive 15 hours of support from April. This has benefits for families and the wider economy – ultimately leaving more money in parents’ pockets at the end of the month.
“The entire nursery, nannies and professional staff are vital to the success of this rollout and our new recruitment drive will support them in continuing to deliver the flexible and high-quality childcare services parents need.”
The ‘Do Something Big’ recruitment campaign aims to encourage people to start a career working with young children and is part of the government’s ongoing sector support to ensure service providers are able to offer services to parents in April, September and September this year required location. Next.
The event will aim to boost recruitment across the industry by highlighting the numerous childcare career routes and advancement opportunities, offering on-the-job training, flexible working hours and, most importantly, opportunities to shape and support young lives.
A £1,000 sign-up bonus for childcare staff is also being launched today to increase capacity, tackle unemployment and provide more childcare places.
The trial, which will cover 20 local authorities in England, will provide new staff and returnees with tax-free cash payments shortly after they take up their duties.
Supporting childcare costs and delivering a sustainable childcare sector is just part of the government’s wider efforts to grow the economy and reduce debt, with inflation falling from 11.1% to 4% last year alone and national insurance falling by 2%.
New research has found that half (51%) of Britons would consider working with pre-school children, with two fifths (39%) agreeing they would be more likely to do so if they were given £1,000 in cash after joining.
The survey highlights the influence of early education professionals on children’s development, with 97% of parents believing early education professionals have an influence on their children’s development, and two-thirds (66%) believing they are among the most important people in their children’s development. one. The lives of their children.
Rebecca Mabey, development director at an Essex not-for-profit, has received a code from the childcare service and will take up 30 government-funded hours a week from April to take care of her three-year-old son:
“I work four days a week and the cost of childcare means my partner and I can only afford limited hours and over the past few years we have often relied on immediate family for childcare support.
“The new working hours mean we can increase the time our little boy can spend learning and socializing in nursery, making our work more flexible and taking the pressure off the families we already provide so much help to.
“Our second baby is due in June so having this next phase of the roll out will be a huge help when that second child is born!”
Liam Erens, who works in nurseries in London as part of the London Early Childhood Foundation (LEYF), almost let misunderstandings about his early years prevent him from pursuing the career he now loves. Liam joined LEYF two years ago as part of an all-male apprenticeship group and now works full-time as a qualified medical practitioner. He urges anyone considering a career in the industry to pursue it:
“‘I’ve always been interested in childcare, but I was worried about what people would think of me […] At first, my friends commented that I was “just” taking care of the kids, but this role is so much more than that.
“We keep children safe, nurture them, support their learning and lay the foundation for life. An inclusive ethos is an important part of this.”
The Government is also taking steps today to provide greater funding certainty for nurseries and childcare providers. Each year, the government sets financing rates in the autumn, which take effect in the following financial year. After the department announces local authority rates, a window (possibly 8 weeks) will be introduced during which local authorities must confirm the rates. We will work with the Department over the coming weeks to finalize this approach.
The government has also made it clear to all local authorities that they should confirm local financing rates effective from April 1 by the end of February.
Clare Roberts, chief executive of Children’s Planet, said:
“Many parents already recognize how amazing the role of early childhood and childcare professionals is, but now it’s time for others to do the same and for the profession to get the recognition and attention it deserves in its valuable work in shaping future generations.
“For the government’s expansion of childcare to be successful and for it to be successful, we need to see significant growth across the sector and what better way to do that than to shine a spotlight on the incredible people who are already supporting and shaping our children. ?
“I welcome the launch of this campaign and urge anyone interested in a career in childcare to take the first step and start exploring the opportunities available.”
Employment Secretary Joe Churchill said:
“Our Return to Work program is supporting more than one million people, helping them find, stay and succeed in work. We know how important accessible childcare is for working parents, which is why we are bringing parents The amount that can be claimed for Universal Credit for two or more children has increased from £1,108 to £1,630 per month.
“The Government’s expansion of childcare services has also brought new opportunities to the sector and we know that a career in childcare can be incredibly rewarding. Our Jobcentre team are ready to support anyone interested in early years work.
“With the expansion of free childcare, parents across the country – including those on Universal Credit – can return to work, work longer hours or find new opportunities, safe in the knowledge that their children are well cared for. take care of.”
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