Cross-partisan calls for urgent action on ‘crippling’ Derry child care costs

Sinn Féin councillor Patricia Logue led the call for a comprehensive review of childcare provision and the introduction of a new cross-departmental strategy.

She said; “Child care is a huge issue for workers and families and can act as a bar to parents going to work or advancing a career as often childcare costs much of their pay.

“Child care costs in the North are completely out of control. For some families who are less likely to meet the criteria for funded childcare, the cost of childcare is equivalent to a second mortgage. The high cost of childcare means that many parents, particularly mothers, can't afford to work or take up training opportunities.

“Child care cost should be reduced for all working parents, and the cost of childcare made affordable but this requires proper public investment from the British government.

“While the recent British government budget does not address the continued financial pressures on our public services there was additional money announced for child care but without an Executive we cannot decide how this can be spent.

“More needs to be done to cut the cost of child care and make it affordable for parents and families. Developing a strategy to deliver this is essential and requires additional funding. We need a comprehensive review of child care provision.”

Alliance Councillor Rachael Ferguson supported Colr. Logue’s motion and spoke of the urgent need for a childcare strategy, saying; “We have absolutely no childcare strategy here. We have no provision. We need to help the childcare providers build up around us.

“We also need to look at things like flexible working so that working for parents is better and there's not as much need for childcare.

“Childcare is crippling, child care usually ends up costing just as much as a mortgage. It ends up with grandparents having a lot of pressure on them to take children even if they don't feel up to it. We need an Executive now.”

SDLP Colr. Steven Edwards added his voice to the call for urgent action, saying; “People spend extraordinary amounts of money on child care and it really needs to be dealt with. People need that money for food, fuel and energy bills, and at the minute it is completely unsustainable for many families."

Stating ‘there needs to be a drastic 360 degree change in the way child care is administered and funded’, People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin also stressed the need for immediate action.

“There is a real danger that care providers will be out of business in the next year if Stormont is down and there's a real danger that many people will not be able to afford childcare costs. So we need action and I think we have to keep the pressure on,” he stated.

Alderman Niree McMorris of the DUP and UUP Alderman Derek Hussey also expressed their support for the motion, with McMorris emphasising the far-reaching impact of childcare on families.

The motion passed unanimously at the Council’s last meeting before it broke ahead of next month’s local government election.