Hundreds take to the streets to voice their concerns on the cost of childcare

Passionate parents gathered in their hundreds to make a stand against the cost of childcare crisis in the UK.

Halloween costumes were encouraged for the march on Saturday, which was organised by Pregnant Then Screwed.

With fake blood running down her face, mum-of-three, Kirsty Hammond came dressed as “a broken mum”.

Speaking into a microphone, addressing the crowd on College Green, Kirsty highlighted the issue surrounding the government’s ‘30 hours free childcare’ scheme.

“You have to have a job first to be able to claim this,” she said.

“But you can’t get the job until you have the childcare, and then you can’t get the childcare until you get the job.”

Kirsty Hammond, from Hartcliffe, spoke at the protest dressed as a “broken mum” – photo: Rachel Sutherland

Kirsty continued: “You’re then stuck in this cycle and then on top of that, you have to put down a deposit for childcare and that’s impossible for people living on the breadline, especially now that we’re living in a cost of living crisis.”

This is just one example of how parents across the UK are struggling to afford childcare.

Parents holding posters including ‘Knocked up and knocked off the career ladder’ and ‘We need to talk about the elephant in the womb’ chanted as they marched to the rhythm of a samba band along St Augustine’s Parade and St Nicholas Street in the city centre.

Passionate parents gathered in their hundreds on College Green to make a stand against the cost of childcare crisis in the UK – photo: Rachel Sutherland

The march makes up one event as part of a national day of action, with Pregnant Then Screwed setting out three demands to prime minister Rishi Sunak:

• Good quality affordable childcare for all children
• Flexible working as the default
• Ring-fenced, properly paid parental leave for all parents

Across the UK other events organised by the charity also took place simultaneously.

Passionate parents have turned out in their hundreds at the #MarchOfTheMummies protest this morning. “We keep working to pay childcare” ? @PregnantScrewed pic.twitter.com/vkyCHuyobR

— Rachel Sutherland (@RachelSuthi) October 29, 2022

Statistics from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development show that the UK has the second most expensive childcare system in the world.

Georgia Kokkinou is from Greece, where childcare is free. The mechanical engineer, who lives in Horfield, called the current situation “ridiculous”. The mum-of-one said: “It’s not the nurseries that are the problem, the issue is the government which doesn’t support them.

“I can’t vote yet in this country, so I’m here today to show my support for more affordable childcare.”

Georgia Kokkinou, a mechanical engineer, who lives in Horfield, called the current situation “ridiculous” – photo: Rachel Sutherland

“I’m here because I’m angry”, said Polly Walter, a mum-of-one, who travelled from Cheltenham to the march with her mum.

Polly, who works for Waterstones, added: “I think it’s despicable that our now prime minister referred to maternity leave as a ‘holiday’, anyone who’s looked after a screaming newborn will know that it is far from holiday.

“I want to have another child but as it stands I’d have to leave my job because we can’t afford the childcare costs for two and something needs to change.

“At the moment, I take home £20 a month. I work for my mental health, it makes me feel like a human outside of being a mother. It makes me feel like I’m contributing to society, obviously being a mother also means I’m contributing too, but I have more worth than just my reproductive skills.

“I think it’s important that women aren’t pushed out of the workforce.”

Polly Walter (right) and her mum travelled from Cheltenham for the protest – photo: Rachel Sutherland

Former Labour councillor and cabinet member, Mhairi Threlfall, branded the turnout for the march “brilliant”.

The co-organiser said: “The maternity rate is completely unaffordable. Women and men are constantly being screwed over. It makes economic sense to invest in things like affordable childcare because it gets people in to work and paying their taxes.

“I’m here because I face this exact situation. I pay £1,200 a month for childcare for my son. It’s extortionate. I’m lucky to get it for four days a week, but I can only afford it for four days a week. It’s a crazy amount and we’re a professional couple.

“If you’re earning minimum wage, it’s unaffordable and that’s our challenge.”

A number of women including Bristol South MP Karin Smyth (second from right) gave talks based on their personal experiences at Saturday’s protest – photo: Rachel Sutherland

Main photo: Colin Moody

Read next:

• Call for people in Bristol to turn out to protest ‘appalling’ childcare crisis
• The cost of childcare crisis in Bristol uncovered
• Bristol campaign to highlight cost of childcare crisis
• ‘I’m basically working for free – everything I earn goes on childcare’

Listen to the Behind the Headlines podcast cost of childcare crisis episode: