To interview Barnardo’s Children’s Services Manager for Stevenage, Sharon Bell MBE and Barnardo’s Communications and Data Analyst, Teresa Killworth, regarding issues for families and parents accessing childcare and attempting to enter back into employment.
Minutes:
Theresa Kilworth from Barnardo’s Children’s Services provided an overview of the services offered by family centres in Stevenage, specifically addressing the funding available for childcare to support parents returning to work. She highlighted the recent government funding changes, including:
· 9 to 23 months funding: 15 hours of funded childcare, increasing to 30 hours in September 2025, for families earning under £100k annually.
· Two-year-old funding: Available for low-income families or those on benefits, currently at 15 hours and increasing to 30 hours next year.
· Three- and four-year-old funding: Universal 15 hours of childcare, with an additional 15 hours for working families earning under £100k.
Theresa outlined the available childcare facilities in Stevenage, including eight day nurseries and 81 childminders, noting gaps in provision for certain age groups in pre-schools. She emphasised the importance of sufficient childcare availability for parents looking to return to work and discussed the pressures on local childcare settings, including staff ratios, facility limitations, and the need for 7-day childcare services.
Feedback from parents indicated that the funding helped reduce the financial burden of returning to work, though challenges remained, especially for those who worked shifts or weekends. Childcare providers raised concerns about matching specific childcare needs with available spaces and highlighted difficulties in staffing and facilities.
The presentation concluded with suggestions for improving support for families, such as reviewing toddler group provisions and addressing the decreasing take-up of two-year-old funding. Theresa also mentioned the potential future need for extended childcare hours due to the increasing demands of a 24/7 work culture.
Members asked a number of questions related to:
· Information Clarity
· Funding
· Balancing Work with Childcare
· Financial Viability of Providing Services
· Challenges Faced by Settings
· Training and Reskilling
In response, the Committee heard that:
· Parents often found the information confusing, particularly when accessing funding through online platforms. Many struggled to understand what they were entitled to, and this issue was compounded for those without internet access or with limited literacy skills.
· While parents could access 15 hours of funded childcare, they often had to pay for additional hours, particularly outside term time. This led many to rely on informal family support during holidays.
· While no weekend childcare provision currently existed in Stevenage, it might be something that would need to be considered in the future, particularly as more and more parents returned to work in roles that fell outside of traditional working hours.
· While most nurseries were managing, they faced difficulties in recruitment, particularly for staff to cover opening and closing times. For most settings, the loss of just one key staff member would significantly affect their operations.
· The potential of new T-level qualifications that involved hands-on learning, could help nurseries train staff more efficiently.
Members highlighted that parents needed to apply for childcare funding several months in advance and had to regularly reapply to ensure continued support. In addition to this, many childminders refused to take children over the age of three due to financial constraints.
Theresa acknowledged these issues adding that the process could be challenging for parents, especially when navigating various types of funding and settings that accept them. She noted that the limited number of nurseries in Stevenage, combined with the financial strain on childminders, made these pressing issues.
The Chair thanked Theresa for her contribution.