A survey of more than 2,000 parents carried out by the alliance found that 49 per cent said that the government didn’t do enough to support parents to access the childcare they need during the pandemic.
A third (34 per cent) said that difficulties accessing childcare since the easing of lockdown has had a negative impact on their work life, rising to nearly half (48 per cent) of parents living in the most deprived local authority areas.
-
How to address the childminder decline
-
'Invest in the childcare workforce to get best outcomes for children'
More than a quarter (27 per cent) said that difficulties accessing childcare since the easing of lockdown had a negative impact on their mental health, rising to over a third (36 per cent) of parents living in the most deprived local authorities areas.
Despite settings being allowed to reopen to all children from 1 June, a further 38 per cent of parents are now taking up less hours per week, with more than half (56 per cent) saying that it is due to their childcare provider being unable to offer as many hours.
The results of the survey come amid rising concerns over the future of many providers.
Yesterday, a report published by the Sutton Trust called on the government to improve pay, training and working conditions for early years workers in a bid to support development among the most disadvantaged children.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the alliance, said “much more needs to be done to ensure that the parents of young children are able to access the childcare they need”.
He called on the government to step-up financial support for the sector, saying: “It’s clear from our survey that many parents, and particularly those living in more disadvantaged areas, are already feeling the strain of reduced access to childcare – both in terms of work pressures and the impact on their mental health. With a quarter of providers fearing closure by next year, this situation is only going to get worse unless the government takes urgent action.
“As such, we urge the chancellor to use the upcoming spending review as an opportunity to commit to the investment that the early years needs to survive the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. The alternative is a sector that may never recover from the impact of the pandemic, and hundreds of thousands of parents left without the support they need at the time they need it most.”
Commenting on the survey, Tulip Siddiq MP, Labour’s shadow minister for children and early years, said: “Having failed to ensure that childcare was available for many key workers at the height of the pandemic, the government is now asking parents to return to work without sufficient childcare support.
“This incompetence is putting working families in an impossible position and threatening jobs at a critical time for children and the economy.
“Childcare is essential for our economic recovery and children’s life chances, yet the sector is on the brink of collapse after years of underfunding.”
Councillor Judith Blake, chair of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, echoed calls for extra funding, adding: “Good quality early education can make an enormous difference to children’s lives, with around 40 per cent of the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers emerging by age five.
“Councils have long raised the issue that funding for early entitlements is not enough, impacting on the quality of provision and the availability of good support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
“Maintained nursery schools support many of the most disadvantaged children and achieve outstanding results. However, the additional funding they receive to deliver this level of education is only guaranteed until the end of this academic year.”
