Campaigners for NI Childcare Reform

Melted Parents, a parent-led group, is the largest campaign for childcare reform in Northern Ireland with almost 16,000 supporters. 

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland without a childcare strategy! 

It is vital to support families and to enable the economy to thrive.

Parents are reporting being forced out of the workforce and going into poverty due to rising childcare costs. 

Read the real life stories

Parents must be a key part of designing a new childcare system and included in short- and long-term intervention discussions.

Urgent intervention is needed while we wait for long term childcare reform. Any financial support injected into the sector must resolve to financially assist the families’ utilising childcare, redress fee increases following the National Living Wage uplift and reduce their bills. 

Tax Free Childcare reform: We urge the Executive to call on the Treasury for an immediate removal of the cap on tax-free allowance and extension of the government contribution to families’ childcare accounts from 20% to 30%. Or alternatively, find a way to ‘top up’ the additional contribution from the block grant – this will have significantly positive impact on families who are at crisis point due to their childcare bill.

Establish a sustainable childcare system: it is not good enough that a childcare strategy has been in the making for 25 years. The Executive must make childcare a political priority by delivering interim support measures to alleviate financial pressure on families, as well as a long-term childcare strategy, accompanied by a timeline for implementation.

Meet some of the team...

Dr Casey McGivern

Co-founder & Director

Casey is a Specialist Clinical Psychologist with first-hand experience of the sacrifices parents and children make daily due to the lack of childcare support in Northern Ireland. Since co-founding Melted Parents, Casey has focused on campaign strategy and amplifying campaign messaging in the media. Casey is extremely passionate and dedicated to ensuring parents voices are heard and that they have a seat at the decision-making table.

Connect with Casey on LinkedIn →

Raissa Balduino

Community Engagement & Communications Lead

Raissa is a Brazilian migrant with a background in human rights, equality and communications. She joined Melted Parents in April 2023 to support the campaign's communications and engagement strategy with a focus on politically mobilising supporters - including organising two marches that brought over 1,000 families to Belfast City Centre to protest for a better childcare sector - as well as building partnerships with other organisations campaigning for better early years education for all.

Connect with Raissa on LinkedIn →

Rebecca Harper

Co-founder (2023-2025)

Rebecca co-founded Melted Parents in March 2023 and helped shape our early campaign strategy and partnerships. She worked alongside volunteers and organisations to advocate for affordable and accessible childcare in NI. Before that, she spent more than 10 years in the charity sector, as a Volunteer Led Service Manager and later in Standardisation & Improvement.

Rebecca stepped down from Melted Parents in November 2025 and no longer has a formal role with the group, but she continues to champion affordable, accessible childcare in NI.

Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn →

Support our campaign with a donation

Between March 2023 - March 2024, our campaign functioned on a £0 budget. However, we reached the point where fundraising became crucial to further our cause. With your generosity, we now have small funds to amplify our impact through the March, surveys, in-person meetings and our newly launched website.

Together, we can push for the support and resources our families deserve.

Donate

News & Views

Read more as we shine a spotlight on childcare reform in NI.

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