As part of a new government initiative to encourage recruitment in the early years section, Walsall Council is offering new recruits a £1,000 cash payment.
The incentive aims to boost capacity, address unemployment concerns, and increase the availability of childcare services. The trial will ensure that new recruits and returnees receive a tax-free cash reward shortly after commencing their positions.
This initiative aspires to bolster recruitment across the sector by shedding light on the diverse array of career paths and progression opportunities within childcare. It aims to emphasise the availability of on-the-job training, flexible work hours, and, most notably, the chance to have a meaningful impact on the lives of young children.
Recent statistics from the Department for Education reveal that 102,480 two-year-old children are currently registered within the system, laying the foundation for the largest-ever expansion in childcare services scheduled to commence in April 2024.
This includes the ability for parents to save £6,500 annually through full utilisation of 30-hour entitlements. Furthermore, by September 2025, the initiative aims to extend this offering to all pre-school children of working parents, starting from the age of just nine months, providing them access to 30 hours of childcare during term time.
For more information on the childcare support expansion roll out from April 2024, please visit the Childcare choices website: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/