By Bridget Phillipson

For years, the cost of childcare in this country has been going in one direction: up.

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For working parents, that has meant impossible choices - cutting hours, turning down opportunities, or seeing more and more of their income swallowed up before it even reaches their bank account.

We are turning that around.

New research from Coram Family and Childcare shows working parents are now saving an average of £8,000 a year per child as a result of our reforms. Costs for many families have been cut in half.

And the cost of part-time childcare has fallen back to levels last seen in 2005 - wiping out more than two decades of rising costs in the space of two years.

That is not an accident.

It is the result of choices this government has made to back working families - to recognise that childcare is not a luxury, but the foundation that makes work pay and gives every child the best start in life.

Since last September, more than half a million families have been able to access 30 hours of government-funded early education from nine months old up to school age. For many, that has been life-changing.

And it is not just about lower bills.

Nearly a third of parents say the reforms have enabled them to increase their working hours. That means more security, more opportunity, and more control over family life - the basic building blocks of a fair economy.

And for children, the foundations to set them up for success. The first step on a path to better outcomes at school, particularly for those who are disadvantaged, and ultimately better life chances. But we have never seen childcare in isolation.

We are extending free school meals to families on Universal Credit, rolling out free breakfast clubs, and continuing to support parents with childcare costs through Universal Credit and Tax-Free Childcare. It is a straightforward principle: if you work hard, you should be able to keep more of what you earn.

But lowering costs is only part of the job. Families also need to know that the childcare they rely on is high-quality, inclusive and there when they need it. Not just childcare, but early education.

That is why we are investing in the workforce, including training 9,000 early years special educational needs co-ordinators, so that children with additional needs are supported from the very start. And through Best Start Family Hubs, we are bringing together support for parents in every community - from health services to early education — under one roof.

There is more to do. But after years of rising costs and limited choices, the direction is clear: childcare is becoming more affordable, work is becoming more viable, and families are starting to feel the difference.

That is the change we were elected to deliver - and we will keep going.

Bridget Phillipson is the Secretary of State for Education and Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South.

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