CYP Now - Provider survey reveals scale of childcare workforce crisis

Few parts of the children and families sector have been hit as hard by the pandemic as early years services. Shortages of staff and government funding have only been exacerbated by Covid-19 as demand for places has failed to return to pre-pandemic levels resulting in settings closing.

Childcare providers are experiencing a crisis in recruiting and retaining staff. Picture: DGLImages/Adobe Stock

Latest research by the Early Years Alliance (EYA) also reveals that the struggles of the past two years have further dented the appeal of working in the sector to the point where this could undermine efforts to rebuild it.

The EYA survey of nearly 1,400 childcare providers found that 85 per cent reported difficulty in recruiting suitable staff. Most reported a general lack of applicants for roles, a shortage of applicants with relevant early years qualifications and an inability to match salary expectations.

Retaining staff

In addition to recruiting, large numbers of providers also reported problems retaining staff: 62 per cent of respondents to the survey said workers who had left their setting in the previous six months had left the sector completely and half had been forced to use bank or agency staff to fill gaps.

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