I am a mother to 9-month-old twins. Prior to my pregnancy, I was gainfully employed within the NHS and earned a comfortable living wage. When I discovered I was pregnant, my decision to continue with the pregnancy was based on my financial capacity for one child. The news of expecting twins came as a surprise.

Having multiples is already an immense financial strain as you need two of most things, but when it came to childcare, the support available fell short. Consequently, I had no choice but to leave my job.

The current childcare system in our country does not adequately cater for families with multiple births. It's an undeniable fact that raising multiples comes with unique challenges and expenses that are significantly higher than those associated with raising singletons.

According to Twins Trust UK (2019), parents of multiples are more likely than parents of singletons to quit their jobs due to high childcare costs - which can be double or even triple compared with those for single-child families.

This petition seeks a change in policy where means testing should only apply on one child out of the multiples (as with a singleton baby) and free childcare is then provided for all other children from the multiple birth. This would alleviate some financial burden off these families and ensure they have equal opportunities in maintaining their careers while raising their children.

We urge policymakers and relevant authorities to consider this proposal seriously - it's time we provide adequate support for all families regardless of how many babies they have at once! Please sign this petition if you believe in fair treatment for all families!