Mum says childcare offer has left her £800 worse off than colleagues living in England

Alec Doyle, Local Democracy Reporter

A mum says the Senedd’s Childcare Offer for Wales has left her £800 a month worse off than her work colleagues living in England.

The realisation has become one of the key factors in teacher Caroline Minchin’s decision over who she plans to support in Fflint Wrecsam in the 2026 Senedd Elections on May 7.

Caroline is a teacher across the border in Chester and, when discussing childcare provision with colleagues, realised that the different system in Wales was costing her significantly more – effectively forcing her to pay a penalty for living in Wales.

“We only get 30 hours of free childcare from the term after our baby turns three,” she said. “Meanwhile my colleagues receive the same amount of childcare from nine months old.

“I made a conscious choice to go back to work, which is what we are encouraged to do by Government. I knew going back four days would mean I earned less and I was OK with that decision.

“Our nursery is great, they offer brilliant care but for the provision we need it costs £910 per month – about a third of my wages. That’s the reality of having childcare.

“But for the Labour Government in Westminster to provide 30 hours of free childcare from nine months in England and the Labour Government in Wales to only provide it from three is grossly unfair.

“It’s like we are being penalised for being Welsh.

“If I lived in a Flying Start area I would be eligible for 12-and-a-half hours per week but broken down into two-and-a-half hours per day over five days. So even if I qualified it would be no good as I can’t leave work after a couple of hours but even that is a postcode lottery for parents.

“If I lived further away from the border perhaps it would be easier to stomach, but I’m less than 20 miles from the border, less than half an hour from where I work. I cross that invisible line every day and that short distance is costing me £800 per month.”

She says running a two-income household helps, but that families should be able to function on a single income.

“If England were paying the same I’d feel more like ‘oh, we’re all in the same boat’, I’d be a bit more accepting.

“But the fact that I come to work and half my colleagues are not paying it and half the colleagues are – just because we are from Wales – it’s rubbish.”

Caroline has said that some colleagues have suggested she simply move across the border – but as a proud Welsh woman she said she wants to remain in Ruabon.

“I’ve travelled but I came back home to put down roots,” she said. “I live half a mile from my mum, I don’t want to leave my family and my heritage.

“I’m happy in Wales. I have some friends who have left because of the childcare and some for other reasons. It just feels like you do all the right things, you go back to work and pay in and you get nothing back.

“When I go to the ballot box I’m going to have to think very carefully where my vote goes.

“People are going into this election thinking they are voting on issues that are under the control of Westminster like immigration. They should be going into is looking at what the Senedd is actually in control of – the NHS, education, childcare.”

The Senedd Elections take place on May 7.