The Government also announces that over 340,000 children were in
a 30 hour place in the first year of the policy.
Foster parents will have access to the Government’s flagship 30
hours free childcare offer for three-and-four-year-olds from
September, giving them the same rights as other working families
in England.
The extension marks a significant step forward in improving the
support available for foster families who work, allowing them to
take up the additional 15 hours of free childcare already
available to other working parents since September 2017.
Today (21 June) the Department for Education has also published
data showing over 340,000 children aged three and four years old
benefitted from a 30 hours place in its first year, giving
thousands of families access to high-quality, affordable
childcare. Parents benefiting from the 30 hours free childcare
offer can save up to £5,000 per year on their childcare costs,
and some parents have been able to increase their work hours or
work more flexibly - helping to put more money back in families’
pockets and balancing work and home lives.
Minister for Children and Families, said:
We know childcare is one of the biggest issues affecting
working parents of all kinds, which is why I am pleased that
340,000 people have benefitted from 30 hours of free childcare.
Foster parents do an incredible job caring for children whose
young lives have been disrupted in difficult and often
traumatic ways, bringing them back into a supportive family
unit and providing a more settled home life.
We want to make sure foster parents have the option of being
able to work on top of their caring responsibilities, where it
works for them and the children they care for. For many, this
could make the difference between being able to foster or not,
so it’s absolutely right that we support them with this
challenging but rewarding role.
The 30 hours free childcare offer is backed by the government’s
record investment of around £6 billion per year in childcare,
which includes an extra £1 billion per year by 2020 to deliver
the free entitlements.
Kevin Williams, Chief Executive of The Fostering Network said:
We warmly welcome this announcement which has rectified the
initial exclusion of fostered children from this policy, and
are pleased that the Department for Education listened to our
calls for change.
The 15 extra hours will not be appropriate for all fostered
children, but some foster carers, particularly family and
friends carers and those offering long-term fostering, will
need or want to combine fostering with work outside of the
home, and this change will enable them to be able to do so.
This is particularly good news for the recruitment of foster
carers and is consistent with the message from Government that
fostering can be combined with other work.
The move widens the range of childcare support already available
from the Government, which parents who are not eligible for 30
hours may be able to access. This includes the universal offer of
15 hours of free childcare for three and four-year-olds, 15 free
hours for the most disadvantaged two-year-olds, and Tax-Free
Childcare, which can cut childcare costs by up to £2,000 per year
for each child under 12 years old.
