Government excludes at least 20,000 migrant families from childcare support - despite meeting criteria
Despite claims that all working parents will be able to access extra hours of free childcare from 1st April, tens of thousands of migrant families remain excluded
Parents – all too often women - often have no other choice but to stop working for years to look after their children, and families are pushed into poverty
Excluded from early years education, children – including those with special needs - are falling behind their peers from a very young age
Migrant parent advocates are set to gather in protest of their exclusion on 24th April near Westminster
More than 16,600 people have signed Praxis’ and 38 Degrees petition[2] calling for childcare for all
This Government promised to build a better childcare system for working families.
On 1st April the Government began rolling out an expansion of free childcare hours for working families, with 15 hours per week now available for two-year-olds whose parents work at least 16 hours per week.
But migrant parents are locked out of this support by the fine print on their visas, which restrict their access to this scheme[3].
Families are locked out even if they meet the requirements set out by the government, are working and paying taxes.
Families have no options but to choose whether to fork out thousands to cover childcare costs, or to stop working – with growing risks of poverty.
With parents locked out, children miss out too. Without access to education in their early years, children often start school well behind their classmates, and they may never catch up.
The impact is even more acute for children with special needs who are not receiving the vital support they need in their early years.
Case Study
Joy* is the mother of a 2 year old girl. She was forced to flee an abusive relationship with her daughter, becoming a single parent in the process.
Yet, despite working the hours required by the government, she doesn’t qualify for the 15 hours now available to most 2-year olds because her leave to remain comes with a No Recourse to Public Funds condition – meaning that she can’t access public support for herself of her daughter.
After fleeing her partner she had to stop working because she couldn’t afford childcare and she had nowhere to leave her daughter while she was at work – she even borrowed money to keep her daughter in nursery for a while to support her development, but eventually she had to stop.
Josephine Whitaker-Yilmaz, Praxis’ Policy and Public Affairs Manager, had this to say:
“This Government promised to build a better childcare system for working families. Yet thousands of children are cut out from this vital support – even if their parents are working.
We all know that the cost of childcare is ridiculously high.
If the Government is serious and really wants to enable parents to get back to work, free childcare should be extended to all families – not just those holding a blue passport.”
Anna Berry*, a campaigner with lived experience of hostile migration policies and member of the NRPF Action Group, had this to say:
“Imagine wanting to work, to pursue your dreams, but being held back by the crushing weight of childcare costs.
If we can’t work, that leads to poverty. And if children don’t have enough to eat, how can that be fair?
Access to childcare isn't just about parents—it's about the future of our children.
Without proper support from an early age, children fall behind in their education, which can have bad, long-term consequences – sometimes they will never catch up.
We want our children to be free - free to be equal, free to access education.”
Notes to Editors
1 – Praxis is a human rights charity. For 40 years we have supported people who have made the UK their home with immigration advice, peer support and campaigning. We use the evidence from our frontline work to influence change so that all people in the UK can live in safety and dignity.
2 – Spokespeople – the following are available to talk about this issue:
Josephine Whitaker-Yilmaz, Policy and Public Affairs Manager
A person with lived experience might be able for interviews
Please contact Laura Stahnke, Stories and Media Coordinator, for more details, or if you’d like to arrange an interview.
Email: laura.stahnke@praxis.org.uk
Phone: 07862007367
[2] https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/let-all-parents-access-free-childcare
[3] Millions of people with valid leave to remain can’t access a wide range of public support measure, including childcare support, because of the No Recourse to Public Funds condition attached to their visa. These limitations are in place even if they work and pay taxes.