From September, hundreds of parents will receive an additional £746 to help pay for their child’s nursery or childminder place in the year before they start primary school.
The Pre-School Credit Scheme 2022, which was approved in Tynwald last week, is the first action under the Government’s new Childcare Strategy, which Tynwald also approved.
The credit will rise from £3,420 to £4,166 a year, reflecting the rise in the average cost of childcare since the credit was last reviewed in 2018.
The credit not only supports parents returning to the workplace but also means more children are likely to receive some form of structured pre-school education and socialization, which improves their educational outcomes.
Offering the universal credit allows eligible children access to approximately 15-20 hours of registered child day care per week of the school academic year.
Julie Edge MHK, Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, said:
‘This is great news for working families and the first action in support of the Government’s Childcare Strategy, which aims to ensure childcare is affordable for all.
‘The move also supports one of the key aims of Our Island Plan to provide everyone with outstanding lifelong learning and development opportunities’.
The increased support is expected to cost in the region of £326k for the current financial year and around £559k for subsequent years.
