This was due to the fact that many women were required to join the labour force (Ferri 5). According to Moore, at present, nuclear families in the UK are increasing rapidly which makes it difficult for women to depend on grandparents as a source of childcare for the children (21). Therefore, day-care programs have grown into popularity (Kagan 591). Childcare in Britain ranges from "nannies, nurseries, holiday schemes [to] after - school clubs- (Cooper, "Childcare" 1).
The opposing side argues that firstly, providing childcare benefits can be very expensive for the UK government. The cost of providing childcare benefits would cost the government £250 million a year (Cooper, "Childcare" 1). As a result of this, the government of UK is planning to tax child benefit, which can captivate a lot of fierce criticism from the public ("Brown- 10). The tax is said to be imposed at the rate of 40 percent and the Chancellor, Francis Maude points out that a couple, with two children who at present receive £24 a week from the government for childcare benefit would have to pay £10 a week tax on the benefit (qtd. in "Brown- 10). Therefore this would mean that government is " giving with one hand and taking away with the other- ("Brown- 10). This move can also cause disruptions to the society. If the government implements this law, it would effect only married couples ("Brown- 10). As a result of this, this law would become "anti-marriage- because unmarried couples would financially be better off than married couples and it would be profitable for them to live together rather than getting married ("Brown- 10). Secondly, leaving children in childcare centres can be harmful to a child's "emotional development- (Kagan 591). This is due to lack of continuity (Ferri 56). The caregivers in centres are likely to leave the centre at any given point of time (Kagan 591). Therefore, children are exposed to various different caregivers and thus may not be able to develop "close [or] long-term relationships- with the caregivers ("Child & Family- 2).