Tell your MP your story and what you think of the 2023 Spring Budget announcements 

The briefing guide in this blog focuses on concerns our England members may have around childcare proposals in the Spring 2023 budget*

Reaching out to your MP

Many of our members have contacted us to raise their concerns about proposals for childcare and early years in the 2023 Spring Budget. 

Most of the proposals will need to pass through Parliament so writing to your MP can be a great way for them to hear about your concerns and take steps to support you. You can find out who your MP is on the Parliament’s website, by typing in your postcode. 

From there you will find their contact details. You can write them a letter, email them or even visit their constituency surgery. 

To help you, we’ve created a template letter that you can use and adapt according to the points you want to make. If you feel comfortable in doing so, it is always helpful to make it personal and to tell them how the proposed changes make you feel and how these changes will impact you. Also, remember to tell your MP what changes you WOULD like to see, for example appropriate funding. 

It may take a short while for your MP to respond, but they should respond! And if you’re not happy with an initial result, make sure you follow this up with them.  

Example Template

By email: [their email address] 

By letter: [MP full name] MP 

[DATE] 

Dear [first name of MP] 

Re: [Clear title regarding the subject of the letter] 

I hope this letter finds you safe and well. 

I am writing to you to raise my concerns following the childcare and early years announcements in the 2023 Spring Budget. 

[Insert a brief explanation of the issue that you are writing to your MP about and if there is something specifically that is making you write today] 

[Insert an overview of your story and why this matter is important to you] 

[Insert a brief explanation of the impact of the problem on you, your family or other constituents] 

As my MP I hope you are committed to ensuring that we have a childcare and early years sector that can deliver high quality care and early education across your constituency. 

I look forward to hearing from you. 

Yours sincerely,

(Your name) 

[Your contact details, including your address] 

Contacting your MP – A PACEY guide for members

This briefing is a guide to assist you in raising your concerns with your MP. You can highlight any issue, but for now you might want to raise your concerns in relation to the recent Spring Budget where the following was announced: 

• Expansion of 30 hour offer to children from nine months of age and an uplift in the hourly rate paid to providers from September to provide funded childcare.   
• The change to adult-to-child ratios.  
• A £600 ‘start up grant’ for childminders who register with Ofsted and £1200 for those who join a childminding agency.  
• Additional local authority funding for extra wraparound hours in primary schools.  
• An increase in the maximum amount that parents can receive for childcare support through the Universal Credit system with upfront payment. 

When writing your letter or email to your MP it is important to: 

1. Raise issues and concerns that are personal to you, and you’re experience. Give as much information as you can and explain the consequences of the proposed policies, for example: 

‘’I do not agree with the term ‘’free childcare’’. It’s misleading and gives the parents of our children unrealistic expectations.’’ 

‘’I have a local authority that refuses to pay my fees monthly. If I am receiving 80% of my income from the local authority I am worried about them changing my fees at a whim.’’ 

‘’I look after my 18 month old twin granddaughters in my setting. I’ll not be able to draw down the entitlement funding for them, as we’re related. So I am worried my son will have to place them in a nursery to gain the ‘’free’’ places.’’ 

‘’The change in ratios will not save parents money and if I implemented it, it would put my staff under even more strain. Why are the Government implementing it?’’ 

‘’I provide flexible wraparound care for two school-age children. If primary schools are funded to provide wraparound, I will lose a third of my income.’’ 

2. Raise the issues that impact on the whole childcare and early years sector, for example: 

The sector has experienced so many years of neglect.  

We are finding it also impossible to recruit new staff.  So, how will we fill the roles that will be needed for the expansion of funded places? 

1 in 6 of staff in the childcare workforce leave their role within a year. 

The average nursery worker wage is £8.56 an hour, £2.19 less than the average supermarket worker wage. There is not enough in the new funding offer to address that low pay. 

The current funding formula for early years education and childcare is not working. It is a complex, bureaucratic mesh of at least 8 schemes across 3 government departments. When will it be reformed? 

PACEY research has shown that since the pandemic 49% of childcare and early years professionals experienced a decline in their mental health.  

Why is there nothing in the 2023 Spring Budget for existing childminders? By 2035 there will only be 1000 left. What is being done to address that devastating decline? 

3. Ask your MP to take action, for example: 

Vote against the relaxation of ratios. 

Ask the Government for rationale behind the huge difference in the payments to childminders who register with Ofsted and childminder agencies.  And ask how those the sums of £600 and £1200 were calculated. 

Ask will childminders be able to work alongside primary schools to provide wraparound care? Otherwise, they will lose large parts of their income. 

Ask your MP to visit your setting and speak to your staff about their day-to-day work. 

Raise the profile of childminders in Parliament, make sure everyone knows that we are educators and not just babysitters. 

Pledge in the next election to a full comprehensive review of childcare and early education and a long-term strategy out of it. 

If you live and work in Wales contacting your MP may not be the best route to influence change and contacting a Member for the Senedd may have a greater impact.  We are awaiting the publication of the Independent Review of Childminding in May and depending on the outcome of this look to produce templates and/or guidance for Wales members on how they can seek political support for change.  We want to ensure that the voice of members in Wales direct to the Senedd comes at the right point to ensure the impact is heard strongly.  Keep an eye on the news section of our website for further updates and information within email updates to members in coming months*