Alliance responds to latest аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø¿ª½± statistics showing a continued drop in early years providers

The Early Years Alliance has issued a comment following the release of the latest аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø¿ª½± sector statistics which includes the number of early years providers and places on 31 August 2024. The data, which can be read , shows the following:

  • As of 31 August 2024, 61,200 childcare and early years providers were registered with Ð°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø¿ª½± down by 1,030 (2%) since 31 August 2023.  Most of this decline was due to a fall in the number of childminders

  • The number of childminders registered with Ð°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø¿ª½± has decreased by 1,060 (4%) since 31 August 2023, to 26,000 providers 

  • In total there were 1.28 million childcare and early years places offered by providers registered on the Early Years Register, up by 1% in the period 

Today’s Ð°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø¿ª½± figures are further proof that the early years sector is in need of urgent and significant support if we are to have any hope of successfully delivering the final phase of early entitlement expansion. 

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said: 

"While the findings show a slight increase in the number of early years places, the fact that more than four in ten local authorities reported a drop in places clearly shows that longstanding sector challenges – namely, funding and staffing – must be addressed as a matter of urgency to build the additional capacity the sector so desperately needs. 

"What’s more, the continued trend of plummeting childminder numbers, which accounts for the vast majority of the decline of overall providers, remains deeply concerning. Childminding professionals are an incredibly important source of quality, flexible home-based care and education, and it has never been more important to ensure that this critical part of the sector receives the support it needs – both now and in the long-term – to reverse this worrying trend.  

"Now, with less than a year to go until the final phase of the entitlement expansion, it is absolutely vital that the government takes swift and decisive action to ensure that providers are supported not just to remain open, but to increase capacity to meet rapidly growing demand. The harsh reality is that if nothing changes, not only will providers continue to struggle but more and more families will find it difficult – if not impossible – to find a place that meets their needs."