The Universal Family Childcare Promise

In collaboration with the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, we’ve co-developed a bold new vision for childcare in England. Current government policies leave too many families locked out of affordable, accessible, high-quality care – especially those on lower incomes.

Our proposal sets out a simpler, fairer system:

• 15 hours a week free for every child from 9 months to 4 years old.

• A cap on childcare costs at 5% of family earnings for any additional hours.

This model would cut costs for the majority of families, boost access for those who need it most, and help parents – particularly mothers, to stay in work. It’s progressive, easy to understand, and designed to finally fix a broken system.