£4m childcare boost for mature students

The Government is to spend £4 million on providing 8,000 childcare places for parents studying at further education colleges, early years minister Margaret Hodge announced today.

That will bring the total being ploughed into childcare for mature students studying at FE colleges up to £19 million over the next three years, enough to pay for 35,000 childcare places, she said.

"Without these new places, many parents would not be able to take on the challenges of learning new skills and broadening their horizons and getting better jobs and pay.

"Priority for these places will be given to those who need help the most," the minister told the Free To Learn - Childcare For Students conference in London.