A one-off Child Development Grant of £200 will be made to low-income parents who take up taster sessions of childcare, use their free early years entitlement for three- and four-year-olds or have contact with their local children's centre.
In Ending Child Poverty: Everybody's Business, a document published alongside last week's Budget report, the Government said it wanted to promote awareness of the free early years entitlement and of children's centres and to encourage parents to use services for under-twos.
It said, 'The Government will also look to build on this approach with pilots of grants for the youngest children and conditional support in other areas, learning lessons from international examples of these approaches, including programmes in New York.'
The DCSF said the pilots were still in development but they were based on an anti-poverty initiative in New York City called Opportunity NYC (see box).
The Government will also pilot new approaches to supporting the children of teenage parents, and the Family Intervention Pilots will be extended to support 500 of the poorest families with complex needs.
The Government is also considering pilots in these areas: whether the child development grants could be extended to one- and two-year-olds; how approaches could be tailored to the needs of different ethnic minority groups; and more support for childcare where both parents are working, including offering free care temporarily as they return to work.
The Budget also revealed a £265m investment in extended schools so that every child on a free school meal will be able to access two hours of free after-school activities a week by 2010.
The London Development Agency's Childcare Affordability pilots will be extended. 'In particular, it will look to see how further childcare support for additional earners can be provided, and consider the barriers faced by families with three or more children,' the document said.
Alison Garnham, joint chief executive of Daycare Trust, said she was pleased its demand for free extended school places for the poorest children was being met. 'We hope they will expand on these free two hours a week.'
OPPORTUNITY NYC
Launched by Mayor Michael Bloomberg a year ago, Opportunity NYC is an anti-poverty initiative giving temporary cash payments, which can be worth more than $5,000 a year, to low-income families as they take measures to avoid longer-term and second-generation poverty. It is supported by a consortium of private funders and is made up of three projects.
The Family Rewards programme focuses on children's education, family preventative healthcare and workforce. Families receive conditional cash transfer payments when they meet certain conditions, for example, improved attendance at school, dental check ups, or adults staying in full-time jobs or training.
Work Rewards targets low-income adults living in subsidised housing and focuses on work and training.
The Spark programme is based on children's school performance.
Families get help from a telephone hotline, website and community-based organisations.
For details go to www.mdrc.org.