The initiative will establish seven Kinship Zones across England, providing financial allowances to eligible relatives who care for children when their parents are unable to do so.
The platform aims to address longstanding barriers to uptake of the exemption by creating auditable records of employers’ financing and governance involvement in childcare provision.
The programme offers supervised childcare experience, with industry recognised qualifications for roles in Belfast, Antrim, Armagh and Down.
Only 49% of early years staff said there were opportunities for career progression, compared to 57% among similar workers.
The latest phase of the “Do Something Big” campaign seeks to challenge entrenched gender stereotypes in childcare and improve recruitment ahead of an expansion set to save working parents up to £7,500 a year.
Chris Locke discusses how making work-life balance easier for staff is not just the right thing to do, but the best thing for business.
New Bright Horizons research finds that businesses offering childcare and family services see major gains in productivity, loyalty and stress reduction.
Three in five parents said either they or their partner had been asked to work in the office more often in the last six months.
The campaign aims to open up flexible job opportunities for local people and increase childcare options for families.
The National Audit Office reports challenges in the rollout of new early years entitlements, noting significant uncertainties in sector capacity and the need for substantial increases in staffing to meet ambitious government targets.
Phoenix Group study reveals 25% of parents with young children reduce working hours due to childcare expenses.
Deliveroo introduces a partnership with Bubble to offer 1,000 riders access to 15 hours of free, flexible childcare.