'Free childcare is life-changing as I'm in survival mode - but it's Catch-22'
When new mum Lucie Driver heard Jeremy Hunt announce a major multimillion-pound expansion package for childcare support in today's Budget, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Like many parents across the UK, she described the news that working families with children over nine months will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare as "life-changing".
But after the initial joy had settled, Lucie, from Penistone, South Yorkshire, describes it as a Catch-22. She doesn't want to say no to the offer because as she puts it, she has no other choice, and her family have been surviving rather than living since her daughter Luna was born eight months ago.
On the other hand, she has countless questions and concerns - how will nurseries cope? Will Luna be safe if the staff-to-children ratio changes from 1:4 to the estimated 1:5?
The 26-year-old coffee shop supervisor was "terrified" by the prospect of forking out £70 a day for childcare when her statutory maternity leave pay comes to an end, the staggering cost facing all parents after years of Tory failure.
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She says it is imperative for her to get back into work to help provide for her family and for her own peace of mind but before today's Spring statement, was worrying about finding a job that meant she could still have some flexibility with raising her baby girl.
Following the cash injection by Hunt, she hopes it'll mean her family will be able to "live again", after being in "survival mode" trying to make ends meet.
Lucie and Luna (Lucie Driver)
Lucie fears for how she will afford childcare once her mat leave ends (Lucie Driver)Lucie shares adorable Luna with her partner, Sebastian Schmidtke, 25, who is an apprentice electrician.
The mum-of-one has sleepless nights worrying about money, which contributes to her post-natal depression - which she was diagnosed with following the surprise birth of their daughter, who was not planned.
The couple luckily don't have rent or mortgage to pay, but this is only because Lucie's father tragically passed away, leaving her the property.
But due to an error with the council, the new parents, whose monthly income is currently around £1,500, have a backdated bill that sees them pay £440 a month in council tax.
This is on top of expensive energy bills while the cost of living crisis has seen the pair question whether they have enough cash for baby formula or to pay the water bill.
Speaking about how tough it is raising a baby in England in the current climate and how vital Government support is, Lucie tells the Mirror: "This is meant to be the best time of your life - it is so special to see them [her baby] grow, but at the minute, anyone having a baby, you have to go back to work before your mat leave ends because there is no way to afford things.
"I wake up and I haven't slept well, I can't sleep from anxiety which makes me more exhausted.
"You're constantly worried if you can buy your baby formula, nappies, if the hot water is going to be on.
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"We've had times where we didn't know if we could pay the water bill. We wake up worrying, in the day try and find a way forward, and then go to sleep worrying."
Lucie, who can't afford driving lessons let alone own her own car, feels isolated at home with her little girl.
While she accepts there are 'mums groups' out there and that at some venues kids can eat for free, she struggles to find things to do with her baby that don't cost money.
Lucie, who has post-natal depression, feels isolated at home (Lucie Driver)
The family-of-three struggle to afford to do anything nice amid the cost of living crisis (Lucie Driver)And when Sebastian isn't at work, the price of petrol is a concern, making it difficult for the family to plan a day trip, while it is no better if they take public transport.
"It gets to a point where you're not sure if you can do anything this month just for you and your family," fed up Lucie - whose mat pay is £156 a week - says.
"If you wanted to go for a coffee and walk somewhere, you're at a point where you can't afford the coffee so you'll just go for the walk, then driving somewhere, that is petrol money, it all adds up.
"It's Luna's first Easter and I would love to buy her some things, but we won't be able to do that. You just feel at a loss.
"I do worry about how isolated she is. A day trip to Barnsley on the bus is £8 for a ticket, then you've got to stop at places to be able to change her nappy, and if I'm using their facilities, I feel I need to buy something."
Ever since having Luna, she and Sebastian have spoken about their plans for childcare once her mat leave comes to an end.
It has terrified the couple, and Lucie has spent hours scouring the internet for job opportunities that could see her work from home or work more flexible hours so she can spend more time with their daughter.
The mum is looking to work 16-hours-a-week to be able to provide some money for the family, but before today's Budget announcement, a £70 a day nursery fee filled her with dread.
It would have meant that her going to work was deemed pointless.
"It's just extortionate," Lucie states.
Nursery prices have been compared to a second mortgage (Getty Images)"You're having to get someone to look after your baby to go to work, but you're actually not getting paid other than to help you pay for someone to look after your baby.
"You get to the point where you're going in circles - someone needs to look after her, but there there is no money spare, so you just think what's the point?
"A lot of friends are in the same position. Every single one is worrying and are stressed."
Hunt's expansion package for childcare support will see 30 hours of free childcare not just for three and four-year-olds, but for every child over the age of nine months - for eligible households where all adults are working at least 16 hours.
He told the Commons: "The 30 hours offer will now start from the moment maternity or paternity leave ends.
"It's a package worth on average £6,500 every year for a family with a two-year-old child using 35 hours of childcare every week and reduces their childcare costs by nearly 60%. Because it is such a large reform, we will introduce it in stages to ensure there is enough supply in the market.
"Working parents of two-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of free care from April 2024, helping around half a million parents.
"From September 2024, that 15 hours will be extended to all children from 9 months up, meaning a total of nearly one million parents will be eligible. And from September 2025 every single working parent of under 5s will have access to 30 hours free childcare per week."
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt poses with the red Budget Box as he leaves 11 Downing Street (AFP via Getty Images)While it'll be a while before Lucie can take advantage of the measure, she describes it as "life-changing" but in the same breath, a "Catch-22".
"It's a great thing, we should be thankful, and hopefully everyone can manage to go back to some sort of way of life," she begins.
"With the cost of living crisis, we're not living, we're just in survival mode, life shouldn't be like that. We should be able to live life and be happy.
"Hopefully, this will help bring about life again.
"At the same time, you have to think about the fact that nurseries will then have a fluctuation of children. How is that going to work for staff?
"As one rises the other falls.
"Will there be enough space for children? Will nurseries end up closing because they don't have enough staff?
"There is already not enough staff without the free 30-hours for younger children and the ratio is about five children to one adult, what will it be when it comes to pass?"
These are all questions the Chancellor will have to respond to in the coming days and weeks.
Lucie worries about the quality of care for Luna amid the new package (Lucie Driver)
Joeli Brearley, CEO and Founder of Pregnant Then Screwed (Joeli Brearley)The extension of free childcare has been lobbied for by business group the CBI, which calculates that while it will cost several billion pounds, it could raise up to £10bn in further revenue by increasing the number of parents able to work.
Joeli Brearley founded Pregnant Then Screwed - a charity dedicated to ending the motherhood penalty - after being sacked when she was four months pregnant.
She welcomes the significant investment in childcare after campaigning for eight years on the matter. However she isn't convinced on the numbers and raises concerns about the quality of childcare amid stretched services.
"Just three years ago, we would talk to ministers about childcare and they would look at us like we were speaking Klingon - it was of no interest to those in power," Joeli told the Mirror.
"To go from there to childcare being the main event in the Spring budget shows the power of collective action and we are elated to hear that the childcare sector will now receive a significant investment. Parents of young children felt ignored, but this will restore their faith in democracy so we thank ministers for hearing our cry and bridging the gap for mothers from the end of maternity leave so that they are supported to be able to work.
"However, we are concerned that the money pledged is not enough to reduce costs for parents sustainably.
"It is imperative that there is a clear and remunerated strategy to attract more educators into the sector, to retain those workers and to offer progression opportunities. Without a workforce plan, providers will continue to be forced to close, and increasing ratios will be detrimental to staff retention - what they need is better pay which will come from significant investment into the sector and into the rollout of the free hours scheme.
"The CBI estimates that to do what the government is planning costs £8.9 billion not £4 billion, so we need to see the detail as to how this money is being distributed and we need to know that the government is investing in these new schemes based on the actual cost to deliver them."
She adds: "Free childcare from nine months is brilliant, but only if there are childcare settings to be able to access this care, without the correct funding there won't be."
As Joeli finally feels listened to about the importance of policies that enable parents to get back to work, Lucie says it's imperative.
"You just need that time for yourself," she says.
"Even just going back to work for a couple of hours, it does something for you which is a break in itself - you get to be you and not just 'mum'."
Like thousands of others, Lucie's family-of-three will remain that way for the foreseeable.
She, along with her friends that have had children, is in no position to welcome another child amid the state of Britain's shrinking economy.
"We'd love to have more children and a family to raise but no way we could afford to have a second baby," Lucie adds.
"It comes down to 'Would you like to love another human? Well no I can't afford to do that'. It's sad it comes down to money stopping you from giving love to another baby."
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