Analysis

Families face childcare barriers as councils report lack of sufficiency

6 mins read Early Years
Report from Coram Family and Childcare reveals a fall in the availability of funded childcare places, with the problem particularly acute in disadvantaged areas and for children with special educational needs.
Childcare provider Karen Lilley: “If we don’t bring in extra money then we won’t be able to be as inclusive in the future"
Childcare provider Karen Lilley: “If we don’t bring in extra money then we won’t be able to be as inclusive in the future"

New evidence has emerged on the problems early years providers in deprived areas are experiencing with the funded childcare scheme, with campaigners warning that some disadvantaged children will be unable to access places if the issues are not fixed soon.

Latest research from Coram Family and Childcare shows there has been a fall in the availability of childcare places generally over the past year and that this is particularly pronounced in disadvantaged areas, for children in receipt of the two-year-old entitlement and with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Coram’s annual Childcare Survey, published in late March, found that there had been a decrease in the number of childcare providers in 2022 compared with last year largely driven by a continued decline in childminders. Despite this, the number of childcare places remained broadly the same.

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