Just five per cent of councils have enough available childcare for disabled children during the upcoming summer break, compared with seven per cent last year.
The findings have emerged in a survey of councils carried out by Coram Family and Childcare, which is calling for improved funding, training and support to providers to improve accessibility of places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
It also found there has been a drop in the number of places for children across all categories, including younger children, those whose parents work full time or atypical hours, and children living in rural areas.
Only a quarter of councils have enough childcare places for parents working full time, down from 27 per cent last year.
The most prominent drop was for children aged between eight and 11, with less than a quarter of councils with enough places this summer, compared with three in 10 last year.
In rural areas 13 per cent of councils have enough provision, down on the last year’s proportion of 15 per cent.
Our new #HolidayChildcare2023 survey finds that only 5% of local authorities say they have enough holiday childcare for children with disabilities.
— Coram Family and Childcare (@CoramFamChild) July 18, 2023
Read the full findings here ➡️ https://t.co/gLAzeCZbsb pic.twitter.com/qO9SWq60HJ
The average cost of holiday childcare stands at £157 a week - 2.3 times higher than the cost of after school activities during term time and a three per cent increase on 2022’s summer childcare average weekly costs.
“This means that families face costs of £943 for six weeks of holiday childcare for each school-aged child - £538 more than they would pay for six weeks of after-school childcare during term time,” said Coram.
Marked regional and local differences in summer holiday costs are also noted, with families in inner London paying £177 a week for summer holiday childcare, while those in the East of England pay £142 a week.
Meanwhile, in the East Midlands the cost of some holiday childcare is double the national average “while others are 58 per cent less”, Coram found.
The charity is concerned that the government’s £289m funding announcement for childcare in the latest Budget only focuses on term time support “rather than year round childcare that most working parents need”.
It wants to see funding increased and extended to a year-round offer. In addition it wants to see better information for families about places.
“New government funding to help improve childcare options during term time is welcome – but families need childcare right through the year,” said Coram Family and Childcare head Megan Jarvie.
