CYP Now - Parents in deprived areas 'struggling with childcare'

Difficulty accessing early years provision has left more than a quarter of parents with under-fives struggling to balance work and childcare with those in deprived areas disproportionately affected, a study has found.

Childcare settings have been forced to close due to the app. Picture: Adobe Stock

A poll of more than 3,000 parents conducted by the Early Years Alliance found that the issue is more acute with parents in deprived areas, who are 22 per cent more likely to say they are struggling to balance work and childcare.

Seven out of 10 parents said government isn’t doing enough to support parents of under-fives to access affordable, accessible childcare, rising to four in every five parents in the most deprived areas.

The study found that 36 per cent of parents who responded said that difficulties accessing childcare had negatively impacted their work life, with 47 per cent reporting that it had negatively impacted their mental health.

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