- Working families on free school meals could save over £800 a year as Labour invests £600 million into clubs through the holidays
- Working parents in Portsmouth set to save £7,500 a year as Labour government covers 30 hours of childcare from next month, setting kids up to achieve and thrive
- Latest step in efforts to put more money in working people’s pockets while making sure Portsmouth children are ready to learn when they start school – giving them the best start in life
With days before the new school term, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan is reminding local families of the opportunity to save £7,500 through government-funded early education.
It comes as the Labour government has delivered a boost for Portsmouth parents by investing more to cover the cost of childcare fees in term time and school holidays.
Parents across Portsmouth using the 30 hours of government-funded childcare can save up to £7,500 a year, which can be better spent on quality family time and comes as a massive salve for working people who have been struggling with the cost-of-living pressure that inherited from previous Conservative governments.
The scheme – which covers children from 9 months until reception – will support more children to be ‘school-ready’ and set them up to achieve better results in school. That delivers a key priority in Labour’s Plan for Change – to give children the best start in life.
This comes as Labour invests a further £600 million to extend the Best Start Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme for another three years.
This supports children from lower-income families by providing free meals and enriching activities during school holidays. It helps close the development gap, boosts confidence and social skills, and has already reached over half a million children in the past year.
The Best Start Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme also helps Portsmouth parents to make savings of over £300 a year.
Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:
“Giving every child the Best Start in Life is my number one priority, which is why we are delivering on our commitment to provide hundreds of thousands of children with 30 hours government-funded early education.
“Whether it’s to save up to £7,500 a year, support parents to get back to work or reduce the pressure on grandparents who so often have to step in, the benefits are widespread.
“The offer is just around the corner, and so I’m urging every eligible parent who wants it, to take it up.”
The Minister for Early Education, responsible for the Holiday Activities and Food programme and MP for Portsmouth South, Stephen Morgan MP added:
“From my visits to HAF clubs across the country as the Minister and here in Portsmouth as your local MP I know just how valuable the Holiday Activities and Food programme is to parents and children, so I’m delighted to be putting £600m investment into the clubs for the next three years – giving parents and providers unprecedented certainty.
“But we know there’s more to do to help local families with the cost of living and we’re cracking on – that’s why I want to draw parents attention to the 30 hours of funded childcare Labour is providing from next week, which will help give children the best start in life.”
