Scottish Government

IMPACT OF CHILDCARE SUPPORT FOR LONE PARENT STUDENTS

9 RECOMMENDATIONS

The quantitative and qualitative research amongst lone parent students has identified some "stress points" for the respondents, and highlighted the childcare and financial aspects that affect them most. These are areas where intervention in some form may help to either retain existing lone parent students in the education system or encourage others to enter it. Each of these areas is covered in the text of the report and summarised below.

9.1 FURTHER EDUCATION SUPPORT

9.1.1 In order to encourage action in those colleges that have yet to prioritise the lone parent market, the consultants recommend that a case study based around the experience of a college that has had success in this market (e.g. Lauder College) be produced and circulated to other colleges.

9.2 LIFE CYCLE STAGE, NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND CHILDCARE COSTS

9.2.1 There are inequalities in childcare costs, either through the age of the child or whether or not the Lone Parent attends an FE college or HE institution.

9.2.2 Pre-School childcare is the most expensive form of childcare, requiring a 2:1 ratio of children: carer for the under 2s. The survey respondents stated that the cost of this level of childcare is in the region of 100 per week. The concentration of need in this respect is amongst lone parents under the age of 25, three quarters (78%) of whom have children under 4, and 35% have children under 2.

9.2.3 44% of the sample make use of informal care for their children.

9.2.4 The issues of cost and availability of childcare are, in some cases, resulting in lone parents' own mothers giving up their jobs to provide childcare - a negative impact on the job market.

9.2.5 Half (52%) the lone parent students in the 25 - 35 age group in the sample have children in the 5 - 10 age group. These children qualify for After School Care (ASC), and the LPCG pays for ASC for one child per annum. 39% of lone student parents of this age group have more than one child.

9.2.6 The consultants recommend that consideration be given to recognising the issues concerning the age of the child and cost by making additional support available for younger children. Appropriate age bands might be 0 - 2, 3 - 4 and 5 and over.

9.2.7 The consultants recommend that consideration is given to making additional support available for second and subsequent children of lone parent HE students.

9.3 FURTHER EDUCATION AND HIGHER EDUCATION SUPPORT COMPARED

9.3.1 There are significant differences in the treatment of childcare provision and costs between FE ('free' places provided by the FE Childcare Fund) and HE (grant provided directly to the lone parent student). This means that if a lone parent FE student with a child or children under 5 wishes to progress to an HE course, the potential reduction in childcare support can be a major disincentive, compounded by the loss of benefits suffered on enrolling for full time HE study.

9.3.2 The current support systems are also leading FE colleges to give preference to FE students for college nursery places. The recommendation in 9.2.7 that consideration is given to making additional support available for second and subsequent children of lone parent HE students could alleviate these issues.

9.4 CHILDCARE AVAILABILITY

9.4.1 After School Care is provided mainly for primary school children. There is little provision over this age, and none beyond age 14. Lone parent students with children at secondary school are dependent on informal childcare arrangements, which do not qualify for the LPCG. The lack of availability of childcare for this age group means that some children have to fend for themselves after school. The issue is of particular concern in respect of children aged 11 - 13 (beyond this age children tend not to attend, regardless of the provision available.)

9.4.2 The consultants recommend that the Childcare Strategic Partnerships and secondary schools (in particular the new Community Schools) be encouraged to pay particular heed to the needs of lone parent students in respect of wrap around pre and after school childcare for children aged 11 - 13.

9.4.3 The lack of formal childcare arrangements in rural areas was flagged up by lone parent students in the focus groups and by staff at some of the colleges that the research team visited. Childcare in rural areas needs to be particularly flexible and to allow for the early drop off and late collection of children as parents have additional travel time to and from college. Lone parents stated that this gap in provision deters them from entering either the job market or the education system. This constitutes a negative impact on the job market.

9.4.4 The consultants recommend that the Childcare Strategic Partnerships and FE colleges in rural areas be encouraged to pay particular heed to the needs of lone parent students in rural areas in respect of childcare for the reasons stated at 9.4.3 above.

9.4.5 The consultants recommend that consideration be given to making support available for informal care where there is a demonstrable market failure in formal childcare provision.

9.5 TRAVEL COSTS

9.5.1 Lone parent students incur additional costs compared to other students, not just in terms of paying for childcare, but also in travelling to and from the child's carer or school. Where the child does not have a place in a college-based nursery, most lone parents have a double bus journey to drop their children off with the carer and then make their way to college/university, and vice versa at the end of the day. These double journeys do not qualify under the transport travel grant. They do qualify under the discretionary MSBF grant for HE students, but would effectively reduce the monies available for hardship for that student.

9.5.2 The consultants recommend that consideration be given to funding travel to and from a childcare facility remote from the college/university for lone parent students not eligible for MSBF.

9.6 STUDENT LOANS AND BENEFIT COMPARED

9.6.1 Lone parent students find the switch from benefits to loans, and the resulting debt, particularly stressful. Their parenting responsibilities mean that they have less flexibility to work to reduce dependence on the loan than non-lone parent students. The result is an extremely fragile financial position, and one on the biggest areas of concern is the payment of rent - housing being central to the security of their family.

9.6.2 Lone parents argue that they differ from other students in that their parenting responsibilities reduce their ability to work to supplement their income, their costs are higher, and their family unit keenly feels the loss of benefits. Once they cease to receive a prescribed benefit, they also cease to be eligible for free prescriptions and other benefits.

9.6.3 The consultants recommend that fundamental differences between lone parent students and non-lone parent students be recognised, and that the possibility of achieving greater flexibility over benefit receipt by lone parent students is investigated by the UK government. In doing so, the implications of the new Child Tax Credit for lone parent students will need to be taken into account.

9.7 LONE PARENT SUPPORT NETWORK

9.7.1 The research team observed a lot of networking, the passing of advice on financial entitlement and general personal support amongst participants in the focus groups. Some were not used to this contact and clearly enjoyed networking with fellow lone parent students.

9.7.2 There could be considerable benefit from contact of this kind on a regular basis. It would provide opportunities for self help, e.g. reciprocal childminding during emergencies or a fellow student to take notes if a lone parent has to miss a lecture because a child is ill. Sessions on lone parent finance could also be provided by the specialist lone parent organisations. This would help to address the issue of the 21% of non claimants who did not know about the LPCG, and would be particularly helpful in those FE colleges and HEIs that do not offer such sessions already.

9.7.3 The consultants recommend that Student Services departments in FE colleges and HEIs be encouraged to establish lone parent support networks with support from One Parent Families Scotland and One Plus.

9.7.4 This should be linked to the provision of information, advice and support for lone parent students on campus to ensure that information on the support available reaches students and potential students. Information should also be available through Family Support Centres and community groups working with lone parents.

9.8 MONITORING FRAMEWORK

9.8.1 In respect of HE support, the consultants recommend that negotiation be entered into with SAAS with a view to that organisation carrying out the required analysis of the information it already collects.

9.8.2 The consultants recommend the following framework for monitoring HE support:

HE Monitoring Data Collection Framework

9.8.3 The consultants recommend the following framework for monitoring FE support:

FE Monitoring Data Collection Framework

9.8.4 The consultants recommend that consideration be given to conducting another large scale, quantitative survey of lone parent students, similar to that carried out within this project, after the LPCG has been available for a period of years, e.g. in academic year 2003-04 or 2004-05.

9.8.5 The following recommendations are made for future similar research exercises on childcare support for lone parents:

• that the research takes place outside the examinations period in order to maximise responses;
• that future questionnaires for HE students differentiate between HE students studying in an HE institution, and HE students studying in an FE institution.