The Zizus Foundation was established in 2022 by Nicola Knight and Maaz Rahman to provide grants to parents/carers of children aged up to 4 years, to enable them to access childcare that they could not otherwise afford.
The Zizus Foundation will offer two separate non-repayable grants:
Will pay the first months childcare cost for a parent/carer of a child aged up to 4 years, looking to return to work and currently/will be claiming Universal Credit, and who would not otherwise be able to afford the first months fees.
Will pay 100% of the cost of fulltime childcare up until the child's 2nd birthday for parents who are in a situation of domestic abuse, homelessness, death of a parent or other significant life event.
Running a private day care nursery, Nicci and Maaz saw an increase in the number of parents struggling to pay for private childcare. In the North East of England the average cost of private full time childcare is £11,500 per child (Apr 22).
For parents claiming benefits, Universal Credit covers up to 85% of the cost of childcare but can only be claimed once the first months fees have been paid, which for a lot of parents presents a barrier for returning to work. By giving non-repayable grants, we can empower parents to get back to paid employment.
A 2021 study by the Centre for Progressive Policy found that 34% of women surveyed were prevented from taking a potential job because of childcare costs, equating to an estimated 1.3 million women.
Government funded childcare doesn’t start until a child’s 2nd birthday at the earliest. For parents going through a difficult period in their life, reassurance that their child(ren) are being looked after in a warm, safe, environment and having the support network that a day nursery brings will help to build resilience within the family to face whatever hardship has befallen them.
The Zizus Foundation raises money by fundraising, through grant applications and corporate sponsorships. We are hugely grateful to each and every penny donated.
Applications to receive funding will be accepted from third party agencies only. We will be working in partnership with agencies such as:
DWP
Social workers
Recruitment agencies
Charities dealing with: bereavement / domestic abuse / unemployment / homelessness.
