Home » Legal developments » National legislation » Great Britain: the government seeks to lower childcare costs in order to encourage parents to return to work Great Britain: the government seeks to lower childcare costs in order to encourage parents to return to work Through . Published on 07 July 2022 à 11h09 - Update on 07 July 2022 à 11h09 Resources In its plan unveiled on 04 July, the UK executive announced the launch of a consultation aimed at reducing the childcare ratio in nurseries (early year settings for 2 year olds). According to its calculations, raising the current ratio of 1 adult for every 4 children to 1 for every 5 could reduce the costs for parents with young children by 15%. Former Education Minister Nadhim Zahawi said,”This in turn will support thousands of families across the country, helping to develop children’s skills while also supporting parents into work.” The government, which is looking for women to return to work, is also considering supporting childminders in order to increase their number (reducing childminders’ upfront costs, relaxing rules on childminding locations, and more…), as well as conducting an information campaign over the summer months so that all parents know what aids are available. “These proposals won’t help. Cutting staffing ratios will just put more pressure on underpaid and undervalued childcare workers,” said TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady. According to the TUC, annual childcare costs for the youngest children have risen by more than £2,000 (€2,336), i.e. 44% between 2010 and 2021. In 2021, one in three UK couples spent more than a third of their salary on childcare. Parenthood Need more info ? Contact mind's on-demand study service Which service do you want to contact :WritingCommercial serviceTechnical SupportFirst name Last name Organization Function email* Object of the message Your messageRGPD J’accepte la politique de confidentialité.NameThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Essentials Les dernières publications Supporting parenthood in the workplace: a win-win strategy Supporting employee carers: a CSR challenge Analyzes Les dernières publications Paternity leave: data observations from 41 countries EU: during H1 2022 five EU Member States have raised their minimum salary levels