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'All Families Should Be Offered Free Childcare' Says Labour MP Yvette Cooper

'All Families Should Be Offered Free Childcare' Says Labour MP Yvette Cooper
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All families should be offered Scandinavian-style free childcare, Yvette Cooper has said.

Making her pitch for Labour leadership, the shadow home secretary has called for a system of universal childcare, with 30 hours of free care for all pre-school children from the age of two.

Cooper also told The Independent there should be a new system of tax credits to cover the period between when a mother finishes maternity leave and when her child turns two years old.

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"We should campaign for universal childcare - as other countries, including Scandinavia, have," Cooper wrote in the newspaper.

"That means breakfast clubs, after-school clubs, holiday clubs and free nursery places and childcare available full-time, not just for three and four-year-olds but two-year-olds too."

She said Labour "did not convince" enough voters of its commitment to families during the general election campaign and that the party needed to demonstrate a commitment to extra support for younger families.

"It means recognising that when children are small, parents need more choice about returning to work, working part-time, or staying at home," she said.

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It comes as the Queen's Speech will set out a programme of legislation that Prime Minister David Cameron said would reach "right across our country, into every city, every community and every home''.

The plan includes the promise of 30 hours of free childcare for three and four-year-olds.

Also on HuffPost UK:

Maternity Leave Around The World (2012)
United States (01 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 12 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: No national program but cash benefits may be provided at the state level. (credit:Flickr: Gage Skidmore)
Iceland (02 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 3 months for the mother, 3 months for the father, and 3 months that can be taken by either parent (total of 9 months)
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 80 (up to ISK350,000 per month) (credit:Flickr: biologyfishman)
Germany(03 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 14 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:(Photo by Dennis Grombkowski/Bongarts/Getty Images))
Japan (04 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 14 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 67 (credit:Flickr: OiMax)
Malta (05 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 14 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Flickr: Magnus Bråth)
New Zealand (06 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 14 Weeks Paid, 38 Weeks Unpaid
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Flickr: Tākuta)
Switzerland (07 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 14 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 80 (credit:Flickr: Oyvind Solstad)
Belgium(08 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 15 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 82 per cent for the first 30 days and 75 per cent for the remaining period. (credit:Getty)
Finland(09 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 105 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 70 (credit:Getty)
Slovenia(10 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 105 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Flickr: Luigi Rosa)
Austria(11 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 16 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Getty)
France(12 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 16 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Getty)
Latvia(13 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 112 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Flickr: xmacex)
Luxembourg(14 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 16 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Flickr: James Cridland)
Netherlands (15 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 16 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Flickr: marjoleinknuit)
Spain (16 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 16 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Flickr: Grey World)
Greece (17 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 119 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 50 (credit:Flickr: tjuel)
Australia(18 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 18 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: Each parent can take up to 12 months of leave, of which 18 weeks are paid. (credit:Getty)
Lithuania(19 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 126 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Flickr: Mr. T in DC)
Belarus(20 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 126 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Getty)
Moldova (21 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 126 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Flickr: Aurelian SÄ)
Ukraine (22 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 126 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Flickr: LancerenoK)
Romania (23 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 126 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 85 (credit:Flickr: gorriti)
Portugal (24 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 120 to 150 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid: Parental benefits paid at 100 per cent for the shorter duration of leave and 80 per cent for the longer option (credit:Flickr: freddie boy)
Estonia(25 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 140 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Getty)
Poland (26 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 20 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Flickr: Magic Madzik)
Russia (27 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 140 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Flickr: Mad Wraith)
Italy (28 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 5 Months
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 80 (credit:Flickr: Ell Brown )
Bulgaria(29 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 135 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid:90 (credit:Shutterstock)
Hungary (30 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 24 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 70 (credit:Flickr: kat.dodd)
Ireland (31 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 26 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 80 (credit:Flickr: Tom Raftery)
Czech Republic(32 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 28 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 60 (credit:Getty)
Slovakia(33 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 28 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 55 (credit:Flickr: quinet)
Macedonia (34 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 9 Months
Percentage Of Wages Paid: Not found. (credit:Flickr: Zé.Valdi)
Norway (35 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 36 to 46 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: Parental benefits paid at 100 per cent for the shorter duration of leave and 80 per cent for the longer option. (credit:Flickr: Lemsipmatt)
Albania(36 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 365 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 80 per cent prior to birth and for 150 days after and 50 per cent for the rest of the leave period. Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha shown here. (credit:Getty)
Bosnia And Herzegovina(37 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 1 Year
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 82 per cent for the first 30 days and 75 per cent for the remaining period. (credit:Shutterstock)
Canada(38 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 52 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 55 per cent at 17 weeks for maternity leave, and the additional 35 weeks can be taken by either parent. Wages also depend on province. (credit:Getty)
Croatia(39 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 1 Year
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Getty)
Denmark(40 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 52 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Getty)
Serbia(41 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 52 Weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 100 (credit:Flickr: Knight Foundation)
United Kingdom (42 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 52 weeks; however, pay is only for 39 weeks
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 90% of average weekly earnings for first 6 weeks; £139.58 or 90% of average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for next 33 weeks (credit:Fickr: Gage Skidmore)
Sweden (43 of43)
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Length Of Maternity Leave: 420 Days
Percentage Of Wages Paid: 80 (credit:Flickr: morberg)

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