Petition · past parliament · Department for Education
Fund free childcare for working parents with children over 9 months
Closed
1,480 signatures
What the petition asks
The Government should extend free childcare to all working parents with children over 9 months in age. From birth to five years old is one of the most critical time periods for children, and Parents should not have to choose between their child and their career due to lack of affordable childcare.
The UK childcare sector is underfunded, and childcare provision in the UK is expensive to the point of being unusable for many families. This is leaving many working parents financially crippled, with a third of families paying more on childcare services than on their rent or mortgage. Parental pay is also inadequate, which combined with unaffordable childcare means many parents return to work early and miss vital time with their child.
Timeline
| 3 Dec 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 3 Jun 2022 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
1,480
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Education
Opened
3 Dec 2021
Closed
3 Jun 2022
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.