Families will be given extra funding towards pre-school after the government announced it was doubling its contribution.
Parents of children who reach the age of four between September 1 2014 and August 31 2015 will be eligible for £800 towards the cost of pre-school. They received £350 in 2013/14.
Those in receipt of Employed Person’s Allowance, Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance will receive £1,500 towards pre-school, an increase from this year’s rate of £1,150.
Government expenditure – an increase from nearly £500,000 to £1 million is being funded by some of the savings made by means-testing child benefit from April.
Policy and Reform Minister Chris Robertshaw MHK said: ‘Means-testing child benefit to ensure those most in need of this money continue to receive it while higher earners have a commensurate reduction has enabled us to redirect a substantial sum to pre-school credit.
‘Doubling the money we commit to pre-school assists parents on low incomes, who find their finances stretched to pay for places, and those who are on benefits will no doubt welcome the extra support.
‘Children will benefit from more time in an environment that prepares them for starting school when they reach five.
‘This is an example of government redirecting funds to priority areas to make best use of the limited resources available, and the action is in full accord with the Social Policy Principles agreed by Tynwald in 2012.’
A quarter of parents eligible for pre-school credit in 2014/15 have already applied and they will automatically receive the increased sum, as will new applicants.
Privatisation in 2012 was designed in part to end the postcode lottery of the previous policy, whereby fewer than half of four-year-olds the had access to state-run pre-school provision.
A Tynwald scrutiny committee investigating whether the move was value for money and met educational needs concluded the privatisation was ‘badly mishandled’ and consultation was ‘woefully inadequate’.
Under the new system, parents receive credit – in the form of certificates – which can be used with registered providers of child day-care who offer a pre-school provision.
Parents are encouraged to apply via the government website.
Application forms also are available from the Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal, Douglas, the DEC’s office at Hamilton House, Peel Road, Douglas, or by ringing 693838.
{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/radical-pre-school-policy-change-badly-mishandled-1-6630903|Click here to read the criticism of the change in policy}
{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/education/karran-wins-the-pre-school-nurseries-vote-1-4456518|Peter Karran MHK, then the leader of the Liberal Vannin Party, was the Education Minister who privatised pre-schools. He relied on the Council of Ministers’ votes – and their collective responsibility - to force through the change. Click here for a reminder of that.}