At the age of 17, I gave birth to my first son and a year later I was involved in running my first business, a newsagent, which required starting work at 4am each morning, seven days a week – it involved many sleepless nights.
Having children is one of the great joys in life and we all want our children to have the best possible start. Three decades on from when I had my children, the cost of childcare is still the biggest expense you will face as a parent; some families are spending more on childcare than on the weekly shop, renting a house or their mortgage.
Ofsted’s Covid-19 series: early years briefing (2020) said that almost a quarter of registered settings were concerned about closing over the next 12 months. This is a very worrying time for parents, perhaps without precedent for those in work or wanting to start a business.
We could see a generation of parents trapped in an economic and social ambush: you lose your job and have a bright business idea, but then your local nursery closes and either another is out of your area or is too costly, so your business idea is ditched and you remain at home to look after your children. A generation of parents could be lost to the economy if a revolution is not started in how childcare is provided in the UK.
Later this year, on what I have already named International Childcare Day, I will be hosting a childcare summit to unravel why childcare in Britain is so costly and to look at radical ideas from nursery businesses, childcare sector organisations, parents, women entrepreneurs and members of Parliament to tackle the big issues of the childcare crisis.
We must be open to bold, radical thinking about what we as a nation can do to ensure this vitally important sector in society meets its future challenges. We need change which is centred on equity and quality, reinforcing values instead of competing priorities so we can find comprehensive long-term strategies.
I’d like to hear from as many people as possible about the problems you have faced with childcare and what you think could solve this ongoing problem. After the summit, a white paper will set out to inform Government about this complex issue and hopefully present a long-lasting philosophy. Please write to me at ren.kapur@x-forces.com.
Ren Kapur was awarded an MBE for Services to Entrepreneurship in 2016. She is the Federation of Small Business Armed Forces Champion, and member of the APPG Women and Enterprise, as well as a British Army officer reservist. X-Forces Enterprise supports members of the armed forces community start their own business.