Mayor's childcare programme delivers over 6000 subsidised places for London in the first year

Published by webmaster for Mayor of London's Press Office in Communities

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London today announced that the Mayor’s Childcare Affordability Programme (CAP) will subsidise a further 3200 childcare places in nurseries across London.

The three-year programme, funded jointly by the London Development Agency (LDA) and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), provided over 3000 places in November last year, and now in the second phase, a year into the programme, the number of places has reached almost 6500.

CAP is the largest regional childcare programme of its kind in England- providing £33m towards good quality affordable childcare for families in the capital. Places from the second round will be available from the beginning of April and will take the programme well on the way to the expected 10,000 places over the life of the programme. 

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London said: ‘The Childcare Affordability Programme is part of my commitment to making London a more child and family-friendly city.  We have just introduced free travel on tubes for under 11’s and have made all London buses fully accessible for families with low-level flooring and ramps.

'The childcare programme is truly a pan London scheme now that every borough has applied for funding.  Within a year we have seen the delivery of over two-thirds of the 10,000 places the programme is expected to achieve. This funding is making a real difference to the lives of thousands of families in London.  High quality, flexible and affordable childcare is essential to allow lower income families the opportunity to participate fully in the workplace. This not only helps the families, but is important if London is to continue to be the economic powerhouse of Europe.'

Chief Executive of the London Development Agency, Manny Lewis, said: ‘We are committed to providing affordable childcare to thousands of Londoners, and the second round of the Childcare Affordability Programme pilot offers a further 3000 supported childcare places. These places are in addition to the 3000 places offered in November 2005. We are delighted at the success of the Childcare Affordability Programme to date, which provides affordable childcare across the city, enabling lower income parents to access quality childcare of their choice.

‘The programme addresses directly the very high cost of childcare, as much as 25% higher in London than elsewhere in the country, which can act as a barrier to employment for parents. The programme is also helping to eradicate the high levels of child poverty in London.’ 

London has the lowest employment rate in the UK and over 40 per cent of children in the city are living in poverty. The CAP aims to help tackle one of the causes of problem, by providing funds so that high quality childcare can be subsidised and made more accessible to more lower income families in London as parents with young children are effected particularly badly. 

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Press release issued: April 4 2006