Nurseries body hits back at Reform candidate over claim childcare abuse would ‘skyrocket’ if more women work

Emily Price 

The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has hit back at claims by a Reform UK Senedd candidate that abuse in Welsh nurseries would ‘skyrocket’ if more women returned to work rather than staying at home to care for their children.

On Tuesday (21 April), Reform UK’s fourth-place candidate in Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr, Martin Roberts, launched into an online spat with Plaid Cymru’s lead candidate for the constituency, Heledd Fychan, over her party’s childcare offer.

In comments published to Facebook, Roberts made a series of sexist remarks as he attempted to defend another Reform UK candidate who had expressed similar misogynistic views.

The NDNA issued a statement on Wednesday (April 22) calling on all Senedd election candidates to “spend meaningful time in a nursery setting” to better understand the benefits of early education.

Tim McLachlan, Chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Cymru said: “It’s disappointing that this candidate in the election has not done any research into the benefits of early education and care.

“There is a wealth of research that points towards the educational and wellbeing benefits for children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, attending early education settings where they experience rich learning opportunities.

“This boosts their early language and maths skills and gives them the best start in life.

“Although there have been several high profile cases of abuse in nurseries recently, we know that every day more than a million children have happy experiences across the UK in their nursery.

“NDNA calls on all party candidates to spend meaningful time in a nursery setting, to truly understand and champion the vital importance of early education as a powerful investment in our youngest children’s futures – because strong starts shape strong futures.”

Plaid is promising to provide free childcare for all children aged nine months to four years if it forms the next Welsh government.

But in comments posted to Facebook, Roberts warned against the policy, claiming that even with vetting procedures in place, some nursery workers would still harbour “dark intentions”.

The father of three said that “in most cases it is the mother that stays at home with the children” while “men go out and provide”.

In further comments published to Facebook, the self employed clinical dental technician based in Penarth suggested that women shouldn’t be handing babies over “to strangers at such a young age”.

He said: “Abuse in nurseries will sky rocket if you implement this policy.

“Then mothers will wish they’d looked after their babies themselves.

“Mark my words. Children should be raised by the parents until they are old enough for pre school nursery.”

He added: “No way would I hand my baby over to anyone, good intentions or not, I have three of them, and neither would their mother.

“I haven’t said women should stay at home, I’m merely stating that that is usually the case.

“Women nurture, men go out and provide.”

His comments came after Reform’s third-place candidate in Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr, Mark Lawrence, suggested at a hustings event in Rhondda that mothers should remain at home to care for their children rather than go out to work.

Plaid’s Heledd Fychan hit out at Lawrence, saying his views “firmly belong in the dinosaur section of a museum.”

Roberts defended his Reform colleague’s remarks, saying: “Mark was only suggesting help for mothers who are at home with the children, instead of handing them over to strangers at such a young age.

“Like it or not, babies, yes, babies need their mothers, it’s in their DNA. This is a conservative view, not a sexist one.”

Reform UK has so far not published a specific childcare policy for Wales equivalent to the detailed expanded offers from other parties.