- Councillor Stephen Hickman proposed a motion at September’s Full Council, calling for Harrow Council to support policies by the government to help children and young families
- Children and young families amongst the hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis in Harrow
- Government have announced a raft of measures to support, including free breakfast for all primary aged children and free childcare provision, but need Council backing to implement
Labour’s Shadow Portfolio Holder for Education and Children’s Services, Councillor Stephen Hickman, presented a motion at this month’s Full Council meeting calling on Harrow Council to support and fund measures announced by the government to improve childcare provision and deliver more financial support to young families in Harrow.
Labour’s nationwide policies include free breakfast clubs for all primary aged children and an expansion of free childcare services, which the government says will put more money in the pockets of parents and ensure that young people are given the best opportunity to learn and take full advantage of their education.
However, these policies require support from local Councils to deliver, and so Councillor Hickman has called on Harrow Council to step up and fund these policies locally. His proposed resolutions included:
1. Support the Labour government’s expansion of free childcare by as far as possible ensuring that local childcare providers in Harrow are prepared to offer the 30 hours of free childcare to working parents of children aged 9 months to 5 years, in line with national policy.
2. Advocate for increased investment in early years education in Harrow, ensuring that local schools and childcare providers receive the funding necessary to provide high-quality care and education to all children.
Although the Harrow Council Conservatives voted to end the meeting before debating this motion, Councillor Hickman said of the motion:
“This motion is about making sure Harrow is ready — ready to deliver the childcare, ready to inform families about the financial help, ready to strengthen housing, ready to provide the mental health and wellbeing support that young families need.
We know from Sure Start that early year’s investment transforms lives. Best Start gives us the chance to do it again, and to do it better — tackling inequality before it takes root, supporting parents when the pressures are greatest, and giving every child in Harrow the same strong foundation to thrive.
I am disappointed that Harrow’s Conservatives decided to play political games rather than support our motion on behalf of the children and young families in Harrow who desperately need it.”