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IMPACT OF CHILDCARE SUPPORT FOR LONE PARENT STUDENTS
3 FURTHER EDUCATION SUPPORT
This chapter presents the analysis of issues in respect of support provided to lone parent FE students through FE colleges. New money of 3m for each of academic years 2001-2002 and 2002-2003, and 1.5m for 2003-2004 has been made available to FE colleges to improve the supply of good quality childcare. The research aimed to look at the way in which the new money had been used during the first year. The findings are based on exploratory research with a selection of FE colleges. Management reporting systems in colleges were unable to produce the required level of monitoring information for 2001-2002. This matter is addressed at Paragraph 8.4.4 below.
3.1 MARKETING OF FURTHER EDUCATION SUPPORT
3.1.1 Our discussion with colleges identified the fact that some are keen to maximise their student numbers and are effectively utilising the new monies to attract lone parents, and are forming links with community groups to address childcare problems (e.g. Lauder College). Others have yet to identify this market.
3.1.2 One way of encouraging action in those colleges that have yet to prioritise the lone parent market could be to produce a case study based around the experience of a college that has had success in this market and to circulate it to other colleges.
3.2 URBAN AND RURAL EXPERIENCES COMPARED
3.2.1 The experience of lone parent FE students varies geographically. In urban areas, the student will often have access to a fully funded place or places at a FE college nursery. If no place is available or when the child or children are of primary school age, there will generally be a sufficiency of 'formal' childcare provision within an urban FE college catchment area, for which funding will be available from the FE Childcare Fund. It should be noted, however, that lone parents tend to prefer college-based nurseries as they are more convenient, and the parent is on hand if there is a problem.
3.2.2 In rural areas, there is often a dearth of 'formal' childcare according to lone parent students and college Student Services' staff. Even where such provision is available, it can be inaccessible for reasons of practicality. There are two main reasons - firstly because the student has to leave home to travel to college before provision near the student's home opens in the morning (and may not return home until after it shuts in the evening). Secondly, it may not be possible to travel to college, make an additional round trip to the childcare provider (for which students informed the researchers that no travel cost support is given), to arrive at college for the start of lectures and vice versa in the evening.
3.2.3 At one rural college, the research team was informed that senior management had refrained from expanding capacity in the college nursery in the face of additional demand because of the time limited nature of the FE Childcare Fund (initially announced for three years). The college did not want to get into a position of increasing its nursery running costs and then possibly seeing specific funding reduce or cease in the light of future policy change. As a result of the lack of capacity in the college nursery and the difficulties experienced by lone parents in finding or accessing external childcare, this college will have materially under spent its FE Childcare Fund allocation for 2001-2002. Anecdotal evidence collected during the survey suggests that other colleges may similarly have refrained from expansion of childcare capacity.
3.3 SEPARATION OF FURTHER EDUCATION AND HIGHER EDUCATION SUPPORT
3.3.1 This year, the college can only carry forward 10% of the under spend and must return the balance to SFEFC. In the past, under previous rules, the college could have vired the money to help HE students. A lone parent can come to college for FE and stay on benefit and so not need to draw on hardship funds to the same extent. The vast majority of full time HE students, however, lose Income Support and Housing Benefit. HE lone parents can still apply, but 95% do not get an award as their income is too high because, unlike FE students, HE students qualify for student loans. As a result, they are only likely to get an award if they have 3 children or more. This issue is discussed further under HE support.
3.3.2 FE students can receive support up to whatever level is required to pay for all their childcare costs, providing funds remain available within the college budget. According to our calculations on the basis of survey responses, the cost of 'formal' childcare for an under five for one academic year is a minimum of 1,900. Thus, if a lone parent FE student with such a child or children wishes to progress to an HE course, the potential reduction in childcare support can be a major disincentive, compounded by the loss of benefits suffered on enrolling for full time HE study.
3.4 SUMMARY
3.4.1 FE support appears to be working well where there is an adequate supply of 'formal' childcare available to lone parent FE students, usually where an FE college has made provision in a college nursery available, or in urban areas. In rural areas, where a college does not make available sufficient provision in a college nursery, the supply failure can result in lone parents being unable to benefit from the support available for childcare. These findings are based on exploratory research with a selection of FE colleges.
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