article_snippet.sent: Mr Cameron promised extra free childcare for 600,000 children a year to counter spiralling costs and said the expense of nurseries and childminders has become a major barrier to employment.
article_snippet.sent: The Conservatives have pledged to reduce tax relief on pension contributions for people earning more than £150,000 to fund additional free childcare places.
article_snippet.sent: So we introduced 15 hours of free childcare a week for three- and four-year-olds and disadvantaged two-year-olds.
article_snippet.sent: In the next Parliament we will double that for three- and four-year-olds.
article_snippet.sent: – 30 hours of free childcare a week – worth £5,000 to working families.
article_snippet.sent: That means over 600,000 extra free childcare places available for families every year – nine million extra hours of childcare a week and parents able to work an extra 78 days a year without any childcare costs –
article_snippet.sent: The new free childcare will be available where all parents in the household are working at least eight hours a week at the minimum wage.
article_snippet.sent: The new 30 hours entitlement will cost just under £350 million a year.
highlights_snippet.sent: Prime Minister announced 600,000 new childcare places today .