In her essay Modern Motherhood, published today as part of 4Children’s 30th anniversary celebrations, the barrister and women’s rights campaigner, says there should be ‘a long-term, and staged strategy for moving towards affordable and universal childcare: for pre-school children, but as they grow up and start school too.’
While increasing the hours for thee- and four-year-olds from 15 hours to 25 hours a week would be a start, she says that ultimately the aim should be for universal childcare along the lines of Scandinavian countries.
In the essay, Cherie Blair also gives a personal account of her own experiences of becoming a parent for the first time nearly 30 years ago, when as a self-employed lawyer she had no right to maternity leave, and returned to work soon after the birth of her eldest son Euan.
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