Childcare, Robin Wright on The Girlfriend, Life after a loved one's suicide
Woman's Hour
BBC
4.1 • 3K Ratings
🗓️ 1 September 2025
⏱️ 58 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
As of today, eligible working parents in England can access 30 funded hours of childcare – in term time only - for children aged nine months to four years. The government is doubling the amount of funded hours it offers, but there are concerns about availability and staffing. New research from Growth Spurt and Women in Data shows that more than half of parents can’t access the funding without restrictions, paying fees or meeting extra conditions. Nuala McGovern talks to Early Years Minister Stephen Morgan about the scheme and the challenges the government faces over nursery childcare. We're also joined by Joeli Brearley, founder and director of Growth Spurt, to discuss their research, along with a mother who shares her own experience of navigating the system as she returns to work. Actor Robin Wright joins Nuala in the studio to discuss directing and starring in new series The Girlfriend, based on the book by Michelle Frances. Best known for her award-winning role in House of Cards and much-loved movies such as Forest Gump and The Princess Bride, Robin plays Laura in the psychological thriller, a protective mother who is deeply suspicious of her son’s new girlfriend Cherry, played by Olivia Cooke. As part of a new Woman's Hour series this week about life after suicide, we'll hear from three women who've had the experience of someone close to them taking their own life. Sam Southern’s husband Glenn took his life five years ago in 2020, leaving her with a blended family of six children, including two who were very young. She talks to reporter Jo Morris about the impact it had on her at the time and how she now runs a charity supporting other families impacted by suicide where she lives in Blackpool. For anyone affected by the issues in this series, there are links to information and support on the BBC Action Line website. Presented by: Nuala McGovern Produced by: Sarah Jane Griffiths
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I'm Rory Stewart and I grew up wanting to be a hero and I'm still fascinated by the ideas of heroism. |
| 0:09.0 | In my new series, I'm taking in the long sweep of history from Achilles to Zelensky and asking, what is a hero? |
| 0:16.0 | Simply doing your job, being a decent human being. |
| 0:20.0 | A true hero is someone who just kind of shines by |
| 0:23.1 | their own light and that light is to be recognised by others. The long history of heroism with me, |
| 0:28.6 | Rory Stewart. Listen on BBC Sounds. Hello, this is Neula McGovern and you're listening to |
| 0:34.6 | The Woman's Hour podcast. Hello and welcome. |
| 0:38.4 | Well, as you may have been hearing, starting today in England, eligible parents are now able to access 30 hours of childcare per week during term time, paid for by the government. |
| 0:48.1 | It's for children aged nine months to four years, but there are concerns about places, waiting lists and retention of childcare staff. |
| 0:55.7 | Now, if you are eligible, how has it been for you? I'd like to hear all your stories. |
| 1:00.0 | 84844 is the number to text. And in a moment you'll hear from the Minister for Early Education, |
| 1:05.0 | Stephen Morgan, on that initiative, including the government's plans to attract more men to work |
| 1:10.3 | in what has been traditionally a female workplace. |
| 1:13.3 | It's also a workplace that has a high turnover of staff, that recruitment and retention a real issue. |
| 1:19.3 | So for those of you that have worked in childcare now or formally, why is that so problematic to hold on to staff? |
| 1:27.1 | You can text the program. |
| 1:28.0 | The number is 84844 on social media. |
| 1:30.6 | We're at BBC Woman's Hour. |
| 1:32.1 | Or you can email us through our website. |
| 1:34.1 | For a WhatsApp message or a voice note, it's 0300-100-400-444. |
| 1:40.8 | Now, one for some of the mothers out there. |
| 1:43.9 | How did you feel when you met your darling son's girlfriend? |
... |
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