The Department for Children, Schools and Families-commissioned report Families Experiencing Multiple Disadvantage: Their Use of and Views on Childcare Provision, found that just 60 per cent of pre-school age children living in the poorest families received some form of childcare.
This compares with a national average of 73 per cent. Among children from more affluent backgrounds the figure is 81 per cent.
Lack of information about free childcare places is a major factor, the report found.
Many disadvantaged parents of three- and four-year-olds were ignorant regarding their entitlement to free hours.
Another factor is cost. The report says that most childcare subsidies, such as tax credits, are linked with employment and not available to the poorest families.
The government is being urged to consider free or more subsidised childcare places at the point of use rather than linking benefits to employment.
The report concludes: "Low levels of information about childcare and early years provision may contribute to the low level of take-up among disadvantaged families, and it is strongly associated with negative perceptions of the availability, quality and affordability of childcare in parents’ local area."
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