Free childcare is necessary but do we have enough placements?
In September we are expected to see the next phase of the childcare expansion, although councils across England have raised concerns about having enough places to meet demand.
The current financial crisis has left families struggling to foot childcare costs and to help ease pressures the government previously announced plans to expand their free childcare system for children under five, although the decision has been anything but good news for the majority of councils.
New research, which was published towards the end of last week, from Coram Family and Childcare (CFC) found that 41% of councils say they are ‘confident’ or ‘very confident’ that they will have enough places to meet demand for the September expansion, however 59% have claimed they’re unsure if there will be sufficient places.
What’s more, councils’ confidence in the final phase of the rollout, which will see 30 hours of free childcare offered from nine months for eligible working parents, is significantly lower, with a mere 11% reporting they are satisfied with the number of places available. Upsettingly, experts also found this figure is pretty much unchanged from January 2024 where the figure sat at 12%.
‘Whilst it is encouraging that councils’ confidence in having enough places for all families who want one this September has gone up since we last asked them, this figure is still worryingly low considering we are just two months away from this second phase of the childcare expansion,’ Ellen Broomé, managing director of CFC said.
‘[The] follow-up report finds that councils’ previous responses about their preparedness for the April 2024 expansion mirrors the proportion of families who have been able to access their place. This shows that they have a good understanding of their local situation and their concerns should be listened to.
‘Given that just 11% of councils are confident about the final phase of the expansion in September 2025, we are concerned there may be further issues not only this September, but further down the line for families in getting the childcare they need. And with three-quarters citing staffing as their number one barrier to delivery of the expansion, our research reiterates the urgent need for a workforce strategy that addresses the recruitment and retention crisis in the sector.’
Within the research experts also highlighted why councils’ are particularly concerned there won’t be enough places to meet demand. 75% of councils’ reported that their biggest concern is the local workforce as local authorities have struggled with recruiting and retaining staff members – this is three times higher than any other concern reported.
Likewise, the report indicates how well the first phase of the expansion – which was introduced in April and saw 15 free hours offered for two-year-olds – was received. Researchers discovered just over half of councils say that all or almost all eligible parents were able to take part in the programme. Moreover, 53% of local authorities identified workforces as being a ‘barrier’ to the scheme’s successful delivery, while 36% of councils identified local buildings and space and 21% reported sufficiency of childcare places for children with SEND.
Broomé added: ‘For this policy to be a success, it is essential that all families can take up their entitlements, and the next few months will be a crucial time in making sure they can. No child should miss out on the early years education they need to thrive, and all parents should be able to make meaningful decisions about work and care. We want the next government to commit to the necessary reforms to make this a reality.’
As well as publishing their new research, CFC – a leading national charity in the field of policy, research and advocacy on childcare and family issues – also published their manifesto for childcare reform, setting out how the next government can fix the problems of high costs and low quality, and barriers to access and inclusion by reforming the system, resolving the workforce crisis and allocating sufficient funding to the early years sector.
Image: Guillaume de Germain
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