DLP Foyle MLA Sinéad McLaughlin has said new statistics underline the impact of soaring childcare costs on families in Northern Ireland.
The NI Childcare Survey found 58% of households had changed decisions on work, education and training due to childcare costs, while 69% had reduced working hours.
Nearly half of all households (48%) said that childcare is unaffordable.
Foyle MLA Ms McLaughlin said: “Parents and campaigners have been extremely vocal over the past few years about the impact of increasing childcare costs, while the Executive and Education Minister fail to bring forward a strategy or meaningful support.
“This survey isn’t telling us anything we didn’t already know, but it is highlighting the pressures facing families and the impact that unaffordable childcare costs are having on parents’ careers.
“At a time when we are struggling to maintain the skilled workforce needed in a wide variety of sectors, parents are actively having to reduce their hours, refuse opportunities for advancement and even leave their jobs altogether because there is no benefit to working while paying these extortionate childcare costs.
“The Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme brought some temporary relief to parents, but that initial help has already been swallowed up by an increase in costs.
“The failure of the Executive to deal with this issue and dedicate the funding needed to support parents has allowed this crisis to get worse with no signs of it abating anytime soon.
“Last year the SDLP Opposition brought forward concrete proposals under our ‘Childcare Guarantee’ plan that included a commitment to half childcare costs by 2030, while supporting providers and staff in the sector.
“We have also made representations to the UK Government about increasing the tax-free childcare cap.
“I would urge the Education Minister to seriously engage with these proposals given this was supposed to be a day one priority for the Executive and the utter inaction since its return.”
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