Stay-at-home parents have called on government for a childcare grant

Any stay-at-home parents out there?

The Stay-At-Home Parents Association has called on the government to provide a childcare grant for stay-at-home parents. The request came in response to the 'Granny Grant' that has been proposed by the Independent Alliance. The grant would allow grandparents who mind their grandchildren for more than ten hours a week to receive a €1000 annual payment. It is being called "grandparents and grandchild expenses reimbursement scheme" and the Alliance listed it as a key demand for October's budget. The Stay-At-Home Parents Association has made the point that all families are struggling regardless of their childcare choice. They support the proposal but are asking for it to extend to stay-at-home parents. Pauline O'Reilly, spokesperson for Stay-At-Home Parents Association said:

"Families where a parent stays at home to care for children pay as much if not more in childcare costs as those who use creches. This is because they forgo a salary as well as paying higher taxes. "A family where one person earns €50,000 can pay €4000 more in tax than a family where two parents jointly earn €50,000."

As it is, the grandparents' grant is not an insignificant cost. The number of grandparents eligible for the grant could see the subsidy costing the government around €71 million a year. However, many families do not have grandparents who are able to care for the children and many parents choose to stay at home at great financial cost to themselves. The subsidy fails to take these parents into account. Pauline O'Reilly states: "What families really want is flexibility and therefore to receive the subsidy directly themselves. They are best placed to make the choice as to who cares for their children."