The MoD needs to address the reasons behind the ‘inflexibility’ of some childcare providers. Are providers required to meet 100% of its population needs? No business can do that unless people are willing to pay (which they often aren’t) or additional services (like out of hours) are funded from a separate source. Generally, and not unexpectedly, Service parents seem unaware of the costs and overheads borne by Early Year providers. Some parents seem to expect expect cheap or free childcare just because they are in the RAF. Pay for employees in the sector is poor with many working for the minimum wage and yet typically represent 80% plus of a business’s total expenditure. More should be done to manage our people’s expectations surrounding the costs and challenges of childcare when serving and raising families.
We are encouraged to learn that MoD DCYP will include in its draft policy guidelines for station commanders to assess whether they should provide childcare and also provide the authority to create that provision, including the use of on-site facilities/buildings.
Our people maintain the security of the nation and a policy that helps and supports them in accessing childcare and enables operational effectiveness, will not be easy to establish. In sum, ‘the system’, be it provided by the government, local authority, MoD and/or local units, needs a radical overhaul to reflect the needs of today’s modern RAF family. And any policy revision needs also to factor in the impact on other MoD initiatives, such as the Future Accommodation Model (FAM), Future Engagement Strategy (FES), New Offer for New Joiners (NO4NJ) and current work to support spouse employment. There also exists a clear link between (and an effect on) childcare provision and the current RAF Human Capability Goals of Full Manning, Resilience and Feeling Valued.
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www.raf-ff.org.uk
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