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Harrogate childcare providers to receive government cash boost

Wednesday, 19 July 2023 13:00

Childcare providers in the Harrogate district are to receive a share of a £204 million cash boost from the Government.

Harrogate childcare providers to receive government cash boost Childcare providers in the Harrogate district are set to receive a Government cash boost to help parents return to work. The Government revealed in the Spring Budget that it will be investing £204 million into childcare. The plans are designed to remove significant barriers to support parents to return to work and help grow the economy by making childcare more accessible. Every area across the country is getting a share of the Government funding which childcare providers can use to ease cost pressures such as staffing costs, training and bills. Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has welcomed the news. He said:

“Supporting and expanding our childcare sector means more parents can return to work or progress in the workplace. “I am pleased that providers in our area will receive this boost in funding to help them prepare for the expansion of free childcare hours available to parents next year. “The Government is rightly making sure more parents can rely on affordable childcare so they can take up more work to help support themselves and their families.”

Childcare providers in Harrogate and Knaresborough will receive a 6.8 per cent increase to their hourly childcare payments for children aged three to four and a 32.5 per cent increase to the hourly rate for two year olds. From April 2024, eligible working parents of two-year-olds will get a new offer of 15 free hours per week of free childcare. From September 2024, eligible parents will get 15 free hours from nine months until their children start school and from September 2025 they will get 30 free hours from nine months until the start of school. Read more local stories from Your Harrogate here.

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