'Chronic childcare shortages risk Government plans'

‘Access denied: a report on childcare sufficiency and market management in England and Wales’, reveals that a quarter of English local authorities (38), have failed to carry out and publish assessments of local childcare since 2012, despite being required to do so every year by law. The local authorities include Harrow, Bristol, Torbay and Tower Hamlets.

Published by the Family and Childcare Trust, the report goes on to suggest the Department for Education holds local authorities that fail to meet the statutory duty to account by making early education funding conditional on them monitoring and publishing data on their childcare sufficiency.

The charity’s research also highlights a shortage of places across England and Wales for three- and four-year-olds, disadvantaged two-year-olds and for out-of-school care.

It found that nearly a third of local authorities are struggling to find enough two-year-old places, most frequently because there is a spatial mismatch between supply and demand.

Yesterday, the latest Government statistics on the take-up of funded places revealed only 56 per cent of eligible two-year-olds are taking up the free childcare offer.

According to the Family and Childcare Trust's report, while there is greatest demand in poorer areas, there is less nursery provision as providers find it more difficult to break even.

It also claims a lack of space, facilities or staff have prevented providers offering more places. In some cases, private providers have opted out of delivering the two-year-old offer because delivering the places doesn’t make financial sense to them.

More than 30 local authorities reported a shortage of places for three- and four-year-olds. This is ahead of the Government’s plans to double the number of free hours a week from 15 to 30 for children of working parents.

Providing enough after-school and holiday childcare places and provision for disabled children and parents who work atypical hours was also a problem for a number of local authorities.

To help providers expand their provision, the report recommends the Government commit new capital investment to support new places and makes sure the funding is adequate and fair.

Stephen Dunmore, chief executive of the Family and Childcare Trust, said, ‘These are worrying findings at a time when the Government is pushing through its ambitious and welcome plans to make childcare more affordable for parents.

 ‘Demand for extra hours of free childcare is likely to be high and we are concerned that a significant number of local authorities in England will not be able to meet this demand.’