This report by Coram Family and Childcare reveals a bleak picture for families, with dramatic drops in the availability of childcare places, and above-inflation rise in childcare costs.
The Survey uncovers the extent of national childcare shortages, with only a third (34%) of English councils reporting sufficient childcare for parents working full-time, a decrease of 14 percentage points on 2023, and just over one in three (35%) reporting enough childcare for children under two, down by 14 percentage points on last year.
The findings show that it is the most disadvantaged children who are missing out, with just 6% of councils reporting sufficient childcare for children with disabilities, a decrease of 12 percentage points on 2023. There are also continued decreases in the availability of childcare across all other areas of provision measured in the survey, including for parents working atypical hours (down by 7 percentage points on 2023) and families in rural areas (down by 14 percentage points on 2023).
Families across Britain are also grappling with eye-watering childcare costs, with a part-time nursery place (25 hours per week) for a child under two now costing an average of £158 per week, a 7% increase on 2023. The most expensive area in the country is inner London, where parents pay an average of £218 per week for one part-time nursery place.
The report also reveals councils’ concerns over the delivery of the expansion to free early education entitlements, which starts from April, and the further impact on the availability of childcare places. While 63% of councils in England are ‘confident’ or ‘very confident’ that there will be enough places to meet demand for the imminent expansion (15 free hours for two-year-olds), just 28% say the same about the expansion from September 2024 (15 free hours from nine months), and this falls to just 12% for the September 2025 expansion (30 hours from nine months).