Hundreds of families access new early years funding

More than 600 families on the Isle of Man have accessed a new fund to help towards the costs of childcare, the government has confirmed.

Tynwald voted to back a new childcare credit scheme in April, which saw families with children who turn three in the academic year qualify for a credit of £4,166.

For use with a government-registered childcare provider, it effectively extended the support previously offered to parents when children turned four.

Education Minister Daphne Caine said the scheme "works for nurseries, it assists parents, but most importantly benefits young children".

Since the end of May when applications opened, 612 parents successfully applied for support for three-year-olds, and 684 for those turning four.

Caine said the updated scheme, which had replaced the pre-school credit system introduced in 2012, was a "key part" of the Manx government's Island Plan.

The funding was a "significant boost for children and families to be able to have the best possible start in life" and it benefited the economy as it enabled "more parents to go back to work if they choose to".

The minister said government were also working closely with childcare providers to make sure "there’s the capacity to meet the needs".

She said there had been "a really good take up, as we expected" for the credit, which could fund between two and three days of childcare at a nursery each week.

It was "great to see hundreds more children and parents benefiting at such an important time in their lives for development", Caine said.

"It’s a parental choice, no one size fits all, but we want all of our children to thrive and have the ability to access a nursery setting," she added.

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