As working mums, we are proud to do one of the most important jobs in the world. We pack lunchboxes, wipe noses and nurture the talent of this country’s future leaders, changemakers and innovators.
At the same time, we are making our own mark. We are executives, entrepreneurs, advisers, nurses and administrators. Raising young children at the same time can be a struggle, but we want to work, grow our skills and boost our incomes. Most importantly, we want to be role models and give our children the best possible start in life.
Like many single parents, we rely on childcare. But it’s expensive, with monthly fees as high as £1,000, and we’re struggling. To make matters worse, under universal credit we are forced to pay these eye-watering childcare bills in advance, and wait up to a month to be reimbursed.
As a result, many of us have been forced into debt. We’ve had to resort to desperate measures – cutting back on essentials, relying on foodbanks or going without meals ourselves so that our children can eat. Some of us have even had to give up good jobs we love because we can’t afford childcare.
We’re not alone. Up and down the country, thousands of low-income parents like us have been left feeling that the system is stacked against us. We know this because our petition calling on the government to scrap upfront childcare costs has received more than 103,000 signatures.
Labour’s commitment to scrapping upfront costs, announced in their manifesto, is a clear sign that they want to do more to support families. We urge the leaders of the other main political parties to follow Labour’s lead and address this issue. Not doing so is setting families up to struggle.
Whichever government is elected on 12 December will determine the future of families like ours. We call on all party leaders to commit to addressing this problem as a top priority. Whoever is elected into No 10 needs to act before the number of parents forced into debt and hardship spirals out of control.
Aneita Lewis, Tasha Jones, Joelle Mitchell, Emma Wise, Thuto Mali, Hannah Pickering, Gemma Widdowfield and Ayo Kila Mums on a Mission
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