DfE survey of parents highlights need to make childcare more affordable

The Department for Education’s 2021 ‘Childcare and early years survey of parents’, was carried out between July last year and this April, with a total of 5,955 parents with children up to the age of 14 in England taking part.

Childcare costs

According to the findings, published yesterday (Thursday 25 August) around a quarter (24 per cent) of families with pre-school children said they found it ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ to meet their childcare costs. While the figure is less than in 2019 when 30 per cent of families with the same age children said they found it ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ to meet the cost, the Early Years Alliance (EYA) said it was ‘clear urgent action needs to be taken.’

The data also shows overall that almost half of families (45 per cent) earning less than £10,000 a year find it difficult to pay for childcare – up from 32 per cent in 2018 – the most recent comparable findings. In comparison, just 13 per cent of those taking part in the 2021 survey with an annual income of £45,000 or more said they found it hard to meet the cost –up from 10 per cent three years earlier.

The latest findings also reveal that 31 per cent of respondents would find making childcare more affordable the most ‘helpful’ change to local childcare provision – up from 26 per cent in 2018.

Families of pre-school children were more likely to say this than those with school-age children.

The DfE warns that the data should be interpreted with caution however due to the ‘potential impact of Covid-19 restrictions at the time.’

'Early years providers are doing all they can to keep costs down for families.'

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, commented, ‘The survey results highlight what a huge burden high early years costs continue to place on families across the country.  

‘Early years providers are doing all they can to keep costs down for families, but when faced with years of underfunding, alongside rising cost pressures themselves, they can only do so much.’

‘And things are only likely to get tougher. Sadly, as the cost-of-living crisis continues to worsen, more and more families are likely to fall on hard times - as such, it is all the more critical that ministers take urgent action to address this issue before the situation becomes even more catastrophic.’

Other key findings from the 2019 survey of parents include:

• The proportion of families using formal childcare fell from 62 per cent in 2018 (the most recent comparable wave) to 55 per cent in 2021.
• Just over half (51 per cent) of working families with a child under the age of 12 said they were aware of the Government’s Tax-Free Childcare scheme.
• Over two-thirds (68 per cent) of parents rated the quality of their local childcare provision as ‘very’ or ‘fairly good’ – a rise from 64 per cent in 2018.
• Around one-in-five parents (21 per cent) reported problems finding childcare flexible enough to meet their needs. Parents with school-aged children were more likely to have difficulties with this.
• Over half (54 per cent) of parents felt that the disruption from the Covid-19 pandemic had harmed their child’s development a ‘great deal’ or a ‘fair amount’. The disruption was felt to be most acute for school-age children, with 60 per cent of parents feeling that their school-age child’s development had been harmed, compared to 38 per cent for pre-school children. 

Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of NDNA, commented, ‘Although this report shows a general decline in the numbers of children using formal childcare over the last year, we are particularly worried about a reduction in the number of birth to two-year-olds accessing early education.

‘This is when parents go back to work and also when there is no Government support, so they bear the full costs. This is also when childcare providers can make up their shortfall in Government funding for older children. More parents with children of this age say that childcare is unaffordable.

‘These children are the ones born during Covid lockdowns and restrictions and would most benefit from formal early education and care. According to OECD figures, the UK is among the lowest government investors in care for two-year-olds and younger.’

The Department for Education has been contacted for a response.

• The latest DfE 'Childcare and early years survey of parents' is available here