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Difficulty accessing early years provision has left more than a quarter (27%) of parents with under-fives struggling to balance work and childcare, a new survey from leading early years organisation, the Early Years Alliance has found – with parents in disadvantaged areas most likely to feel unsupported by government policies.

The poll of more than 3,000 parents, carried out in July and August 2021 revealed that:

• Parents in deprived areas were 22% more likely to say they were struggling, with four out of five (80%) saying government is not doing enough to help them access affordable, accessible childcare.

• One in six (17%) respondents said problems accessing childcare had resulted in poor mental health, with stress and anxiety the most frequent complaints.

• Nine in 10 (92%) respondents were mothers, suggesting childcare issues continue to adversely affect the female workforce.

• One in six (16%) reported having to reduce their working hours with the average number of hours falling 41% – from 36.7 to just 21.7 hours per week.

• Single parents were twice as likely to be forced to change jobs, or to leave work entirely as a result (11% versus 6% for dual-parent households).

The Early Years Alliance has repeatedly called on government to carry out a full review of early years funding, ahead of the spending review this autumn. According to government data, the number of settings on the early years register has fallen drastically in the past 12 months, with a net loss of more than 2,500 settings, equivalent to 4.5% of the overall sector.

Parents who previously attended a childcare setting that had permanently closed (7%) often found it challenging to secure an alternative, with just one in three (29%) saying it was easy to find a new setting.

Early years settings have struggled to stay afloat over the past 18 months, with falling incomes and the additional costs of implementing Covid measures hitting a sector that was already underfunded.

A Freedom of Information request showed that Department for Education officials had estimated the cost of ‘fully funding’ an early years place would reach £7.49 in 2020/21 - £2.60 more than the £4.89 rate actually paid to settings during that period, or £2,964 per child over the course of a year, based on the 30-hour offer.

Commenting, Neil Leitch, Early Years Alliance chief executive, said:

"This government has repeatedly told the public it is on the side of working families, but cuts to crucial early care and education tell a different story. Early years settings deliver vital learning and development opportunities to young children, but also provide the quality childcare that parents rely on to work, bring in additional income and further their careers.

"With budgets becoming ever tighter in the face of rising costs and stagnant funding, many nurseries, pre-schools and childminders have been forced to make tough decisions about the days, hours, and flexibility they can offer. As our survey shows, this in turn is forcing parents to make their own difficult choices about their working lives. For settings and families in more deprived areas, these challenges are even more acute.

"We have seen the government documents: ministers are fully aware that early years underfunding is driving up childcare costs – and that this is keeping parents, and especially mothers out of the workplace – and yet they continue to insist that all is fine and refuse to even review what is clearly a broken system.

"We urge the government to seize the opportunity of the spending review this autumn to finally show it has the interests of children and families at heart, something it is yet to demonstrate in any meaningful way."

A third (36%) of parents surveyed said they had experienced difficulties accessing childcare, with nearly half of those (47%) reporting that it had negatively impacted their mental health (17% overall).

Parent quotes:

"My stress levels are higher due to having to balance work and looking after my son at the same time, I am constantly worried about not meeting my job commitments and deadlines."

“I have episodes of stress and anxiety as I struggle to balance childcare needs with work and my marital relationship. Being less able to access informal care for prolonged periods has also put much more of a strain on us.”

“There are limited places for babies in my area. The nursery we attend is due to close due to the landlords not renewing the lease – it’s an outstanding nursery. This will be the fifth one to close. I and other parents have had to move 3 times chasing here and there before work and older children’s drop offs.”

“I had to cease being self-employed as I could not find or afford childcare. I have secured a new job but this is a massive pay cut and a big demotion and will only earn enough to cover my youngest son’s childcare costs. It leaves me with not enough for after school club for my eldest child.

“The after-school club has closed anyway so I have reduced my hours to cover pick up and drop off. Family that may have been able to help have become to too ill and others have become too anxious to be able to help with childcare.”

“I'm on universal credit that requires I pay the childcare first and claim it back, which is ridiculous, because by the time I pay for food and rent there’s not even £150 left for the week.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

• The survey was carried out by the Early Years Alliance between 20 July and 6 August 2021 and received 3,048 responses.

• 93% of the parents of under-fives surveyed said they are currently accessing formal childcare.

• 36% of parents had struggled to access childcare, with two in three of those who had experienced difficulties (61%) saying this had negatively impacted their work life.

• Seven out of ten parents (71%) said government isn’t doing enough to support parents of under-fives to access affordable, accessible childcare, rising to four in every five parents (80%) in the most deprived areas.

• 33% of parents in deprived areas said they were struggling to balance work and childcare.

• Government data shows there was a net loss of 2,626 settings in the 12 months to July 2021: 

• Of the 6.9% of parents who said they had previously attended a setting that closed, 34% did not secure an alternative; of those who did, 45.3% said it was easy or somewhat easy to find a new setting, or 29% of the total number of parents who attended a setting which had closed.

• Documents received by the Alliance following a two-year FOI battle, showed that in 2015, the department estimated the cost of providing a funded place for a three- or four-year old would reach £7.49 per child per hour by 2020-21, compared to the £4.89 on average they actually received (£4.89) less than two thirds of the estimated cost.
  
  • The documents show a deliberate policy of passing on costs to parents and that government knew this would impact parents’ ability to return to work.
  • You can access the documents in full here:

Relevant survey questions

How would you describe your relationship to your child?     

Mother              91.6%

Father               7.7%

Step-mother      0.2%

Step-father        0.0%

Legal guardian (female) 0.3%

Legal guardian (male)    0.1%

Other                0.2%

 

How would you describe your household?                

Dual-parent household              88.6%

Single-parent household            10.8%  

Other (please specify)               0.6%

 

Does your child access any formal childcare and early education i.e. a nursery, pre-school, childminder, nursery school or nursery class (even if they currently are on summer holidays)?

Yes      93.7%

No        6.3%

 

[If you do not access formal childcare] Is this because you have been unable to access formal childcare or because you have chosen not to?

I would like to access childcare, but cannot                     32.5%

I have chosen not to access childcare at the moment      67.5%

 

[If you would like to but cannot] What challenges have you experienced in accessing formal childcare? Please select all that apply.

My preferred childcare provider(s) is / are temporarily closed       7.3%

The cost of childcare places is too high / I cannot currently afford childcare          87.8%

My preferred childcare provider(s) doesn’t / don’t have a place for my child          26.8%

My preferred childcare provider(s) has / have permanently closed            0.0%

My preferred childcare provider(s) doesn’t / don’t have the sessions / hours that I need     14.6%  

There are no available childcare providers at all in my local area  4.9%

Other (please specify)   2.4%

 

Does your child currently take up any of the government's funded entitlement offers (even if they don't take up all the hours they are eligible for)?                 

Yes, the 30 hours offer for three- and four-year-olds        32.1%

Yes, the 15 hours offer for three- and four-year olds        20.6%

Yes, the 15 hours offer for two-year-olds                         5.0%    

No, my child is eligible but doesn't take up a funded place           1.7%

No, my child is not currently eligible for any eligible place (e.g. because they are too young or don't meet the criteria)    40.7%

 

Has your child ever attended a childcare setting (including a childminding setting) that then permanently closed?                       

Yes      6.9%

No        93.1%

 

[If your child has attended a setting that closed] Did you find an alternative childcare setting?

Yes      65.9%  

No        34.2%

                       

[If you found an alternative setting] How easy did you find it to secure a place at an alternative childcare setting?                       

Very easy                     22.6%

Somewhat easy             22.6%

Neither easy nor difficult 14.2%

Somewhat difficult        20.8%

Very difficult                 19.8%

 

[If you did not find an alternative] What were the main reasons that you did not find an alternative childcare setting? Please select all that apply.              

The alternative places available to us were not conveniently located        11.9%

The alternative places available to us were too expensive                       19.1%

The alternative places did not meet my child's needs                               0.0%

The alternative places available to us were unsuitable for another reason 2.4%

There were no alternative places available to me / us                              21.4%

I / we opted to care for my / our child at home                                         40.5%

I / we opted to use informal childcare (i.e. friends and family) instead       9.5%

My child was due to start school                                                            9.5%

Other (please specify)                                                                           14.3%

 

Are you currently facing any of the following challenges in terms of access to childcare? Please select all that apply.              

My current childcare provider was not my first choice                              3.0%

My current childcare provider has confirmed they are at risk of closure     1.2%

My current childcare provider cannot offer all the sessions I need             8.9%

My current childcare provider cannot offer the flexibility I need                 8.8%

I am having to split childcare across more than one provider when I would prefer to use one 5.3%

I am struggling to meet the costs of childcare                                          26.1%

My childcare provider isn’t conveniently located                                      3.0%

N/A - I am not currently accessing formal childcare                                  4.1%

I am currently accessing childcare but not facing any challenges in doing so        54.5%

Other (please specify)   5.2%

 

If you are currently experiencing difficulties accessing the childcare you need, has this had a negative impact on your work life or ability to find suitable work?                  

Yes      22.2%

No        13.8%

N/A – not experiencing difficulties accessing childcare    63.7%  

                       

[If this has impacted your work life] What kind of impact has it had? Please select all that apply.                

Struggling to balance work and childcare at home           73.9%

Had to reduce working hours                                          42.7%

Unable to physically return to my normal workplace         14.2%

Placed on furlough                                                        3.49%

Loss of earnings if self-employed                                   10.0%

Took a pay cut                                                              14.2%

Missed out on promotion opportunities                           22.2%

Unable to find new employment / take up a new job        17.4%

Missed out on pay rise                                                   9.6%

Unable to return to work from maternity / paternity / parental / adoption leave       7.8%

Made redundant / expect to be made redundant              2.6%

Had to quit my job                                                         6.3%

Closure of business if self-employed                              1.1%

Other (please specify below)                                         6.8%

 

[If you had to reduce your hours] How many hours a week were you previously working (on average if this varied)?

36.7 (mean average)

 

[If you had to reduce your hours] How many hours a week are you currently working (on average if this varies)?

21.7 (mean average)

 

[If you have had difficulties] Are the difficulties you have experienced in accessing childcare having a negative impact on your mental health?                       

Yes      47.1%

No        52.9%

Please briefly explain your answer

 

Do you think that the government is doing enough to support parents of under-fives to access affordable, accessible childcare? Please explain your answer.                

Yes, the government has done more than enough           3.9%

Yes, the government has done enough                           25.5%

No, the government hasn’t done enough                         70.5%