£1m for childcare for Westfield workers
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
03/12/2008
A million-pound childcare scheme has been unveiled by Hammersmith & Fulham Council for workers at Westfield London from the borough.
The money will be ploughed into an initiative, called Childcare Matters, to help parents who are returning to work or into employment for the first time, by paying for childcare.
The £1m cash sum will go towards providing childcare for Hammersmith and Fulham residents returning to employment at the centre and is part of a legal agreement between the developer and the council. Parents will get the first three months of childcare paid from the fund for children up to 14-years-old.
Councillor Antony Lillis, cabinet member for community and children’s services, said: “This scheme is integral to our vision for H&F as a borough of opportunity. White City has one of the highest rates of unemployment in London but Westfield has brought job opportunities to the area, with 1,000 or more of the borough’s residents currently working at the centre.
“If we want that to continue, then we need to encourage residents by giving them the initial help they might need and juggling a job and looking after children can be an incredibly difficult balancing act.
“We see this as a stepping stone for parents to find quality and affordable childcare, allowing them to continue working while at the same time knowing their children are in good hands.”
The council is already working closely with recruitment agencies, retailers at the shopping centre and organisations such as Job Centre Plus to identify people who could be eligible for funding from Childcare Matters.
The project is expected to last a minimum of five years, and the scheme could be extended in future to help unemployed parents across the whole of the borough who are studying on vocational courses which may lead to employment at Westfield.
