CYP Now - Sustainable Childcare - key policy developments

A myriad of factors contributes to the sustainability of a childcare setting, from the cost of utility bills to the number of fee-paying parents. All can be affected positively and negatively by a host of local, national and – as in the case of energy bills– international factors, many of which can be hard to predict and challenging to overcome.

Childcare providers are facing financial challenges on multiple fronts. Picture: Julya/Adobe Stock

This has been the case for several years now for childcare providers and there are signs that increasing numbers of settings are struggling to remain sustainable, particularly in disadvantaged areas.

The rising cost of energy over the past 18 months has affected early years providers more than most. Data from the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows providers’ energy and food bills have risen 15 per cent over the past year compared to nine per cent for the average household. These rises have come at the same time as an increase in staffing costs - a recent survey of members by the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) found staffing bills had gone up 14 per cent in the past year due to the uplift in the national minimum wage and the cost of recruiting.

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