Budget 2023: Bristol mother hopeful over plan for childcare

Camilla Rigby believes the changes will take time to benefit the childcare system

Some parents in Bristol have welcomed the chancellor's plans to help parents who want to go back to work.

Charmaine expected Budget changes which would see childcare costs paid up front to parents claiming universal credit to be "really helpful".

Free childcare for working parents in England will be expanded in stages to include 30 hours for under-5s by September 2025.

But some parents have said this aspect should be brought in sooner.

Charmaine, mother of Harry, aged three, recently went back to work.

She told BBC Radio Bristol plans unveiled on Wednesday, which would see her get childcare support upfront rather than reclaiming it, meant she would be less worried about money.

"Going back to work, you have to work out if you can afford food, bills and then childcare on top," she said.

"I love being back at work, I love the routine and being able to socialise, but at the same time I have to figure out how many hours I need to do to cover childcare.

"That is why this change is going to be really helpful because I won't have to worry about that anymore."

'Huge barrier'

Camilla Rigby, co-founder of Bristol-based Women's Work Lab, a programme that helps women get back into work, said it might take time to see overall benefits.

"I think the whole childcare sector is a mess because of what happened in the last five to 10 years in terms of funding being withdrawn," she said.

"It could take some time to build that back."

Danielle Spencer was offered a job but the salary did not cover childcare

Ms Rigby, who helped Charmaine when she was looking for a job, added: "We see childcare costs as a huge barrier for mums to get back into work."

Danielle Spencer, a mother from Cholderton, was offered a job in January, but discovered her salary would not cover the cost of childcare.

"I was frustrated and felt like I had a low value, I did not feel good about myself," she told BBC Radio Wiltshire.

Cheryl Hadland said she sees a lot of parents at the nursery who want to go back to work

Ms Spencer thinks the issue of childcare disproportionately affects women.

"We are quite far away from gender equality in this country," she said.

Cheryl Hadland, who runs Tops Day Nurseries in Salisbury, said she meets a lot of parents at the nursery who want to go back to work.

"Everyone is crying out for staff at the moment, if you could get the women back to work, it could really solve a lot of our problems," she said.

"Those people who go back to work will then pay tax and it is actually self-funding."