# FILE NAME: 00002680.soc
# TITLE: Should the government provide universal free childcare from birth? [03306a067cb25a5561072128ee9203cf]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 5
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - “The government should provide free childcare for families with incomes below a certain threshold. It is not the responsibility of the state to look after ones child. Children should be wanted and not be brought into this world to be cared for by someone else unless there are serious issues. Bonding and nurturing your baby gives them a good start in life and sets out the ground rules for healthy development and forming relationships. You should be able to enjoy the early stages of development and gain pleasure from seeing all the milestones. Basic childcare is necessary for many families to be able to survive, it allows both parents to work, if able. It should be universal to ensure all who need it are able to access it without issue.”
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - In general, the group was opposed to the idea of universal free childcare from birth. The group felt that it is important for children to bond with their parents from birth and that this would be more difficult if they are put into child care. The group also felt that there is no limit to the amount of children a women can have in the UK and therefore there is no reason for the government to provide universal free childcare. However, the group did agree that there are certain circumstances where the government should provide free childcare. For example, if a parent is unable to look after their child due to illness, disability or death, then the government should provide free childcare. The group also felt that free childcare should be provided to children who are unable to bond with their parents due to neglect or abuse. The group also agreed that free childcare should be provided to parents who are unable to work due to caring responsibilities.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - “The group was split on the question of universal free childcare from birth. The group felt that there should be some provision for families who cannot afford childcare, but that the state should not be responsible for the cost of childcare for all families. There was some concern that if the state was to provide universal free childcare from birth, this would place too much of a burden on the government and the taxpayer, and that this money would be better spent on other areas of public services. The group felt that it is important for children to bond with their parents from birth, and that this would be more difficult if they were placed in childcare. The group felt that if someone chooses to have a child, then they should be able to afford it, and that the burden should not be on the state to look after a private family matter. The group felt that choosing to have a child is an important decision, one which should not be taken lightly, and should include financial affordability. The group felt that universal free childcare is expensive, will require significant government borrowing or reallocation of resources from other important areas of our economy. The group felt that it is not the responsibility of the state to look after ones child.”
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - In general, the group was opposed to the idea of universal free childcare from birth. However, the group was in favour of free childcare in certain circumstances. For example, if a family is in a situation where they are unable to provide basic care for their child, then the government should step in and provide childcare. This could be due to illness, disability, or death of a parent. The group felt that it is important for a child to bond with their parents from birth, and this is something that will be more difficult if they are put into child care. The group also felt that it is important for children to be wanted, and not be brought into this world to be cared for by someone else. The group felt that bonding and nurturing your baby gives them a good start in life and sets out the ground rules for healthy development and forming relationships. The group felt that you should be able to enjoy the early stages of development and gain pleasure from seeing all the milestones.
1: 4,3,2,1
1: 3,1,2,4
1: 3,4,2,1
1: 1,4,3,2
1: 4,2,1,3