An affordable childcare charity has hit back at concerns that the proposed 15-hour offer will fall short of meeting families’ needs.

The Jersey Child Care Trust said that the government’s plans for a “universal offer represents a positive investment in Jersey’s children and families”.

The charity pointed to research which shows that around 15 hours per week of early education is associated with positive cognitive outcomes for disadvantaged children.

“Increasing hours beyond this does not consistently improve outcomes and can be linked to some socio-emotional drawbacks for more advantaged children,” the Jersey Child Care Trust added.

It comes after the Jersey Early Years Association raised “serious concerns” that the 15-hour offering would do little to boost children’s development or encourage parents back into the workforce, and the Economic Development Minister said the proposed 15 hours of free childcare clashes with the realities of Jersey’s job market – where most part-time workers clock closer to 20 hours a week.

But two local parents, who wished to remain anonymous, told Express that 15 hours of funded childcare would be “hugely beneficial” to them.

One parent said: “Getting support for 15 hours a week would save us about £800 a month, which would be massive in terms of our day-to-day cost of living, meaning we’re not living paycheck-to-paycheck.

“I’m lucky enough to work freelance, so those 15 hours a week mean everything to me, and could even mean I could put my son in for more hours a week, which will be only beneficial to him and his development as he loves nursery.”

The second parent explained: “At the moment, we pay for private nursery as I looked after my daughter for the first two years of her life, and it got to the point that we both needed more.

“I needed adult interaction and my mental health was suffering being a full-time mum. She needed more in the sense of structure and activities to develop her skills further. Since she started nursery in September, she has been so much more confident.”

Almost £4m has been set aside for childcare for two- to three-year-olds in the Government’s proposed Budget, which is set to be debated next month.

Education Minister Rob Ward confirmed yesterday that the money would be paid directly to parents after the Government failed to reach an agreement with early-years providers.

He said that the money would be paid in arrears, and would be worth around £6,100 per year for a family with a two- to three-year-old in nursery.