Today, Minister for Children and Families, Robert Goodwill bowed to campaigning pressure and committed to including foster children in the 30 hours offer from September 2018.

Labour MP Tracy Brabin has been campaigning against the unfair exclusion of foster children from the flagship government policy.

Tracy Brabin, Shadow Early Years Minister, commenting on the policy concession, said:

“The exclusion of foster children from the 30 hours policy was clearly cruel and wrong to everyone apart from Conservative Ministers.

“I’m glad those Ministers have adopted Labour’s position and committed to include foster children from next year. It’s clear they wouldn’t have taken this step if it wasn’t for the pressure they faced from us, from foster parents, and from all others who cared about righting this wrong.

“Foster children are some of the most vulnerable in our society and it’ll be welcome news to foster carers that they’ll now have the same right to access funded childcare as their peers.”