The annual scramble by parents to find childcare during the summer holidays will become even tougher next year, when Government policy changes and spending cuts come into full force.
Only a fifth of local authorities are confident that there is enough holiday childcare in their area this year, according to a survey by the Daycare Trust, compared with a third of councils polled last year.
The Holiday Childcare Costs Survey 2010 warns, 'The picture is complex and highly volatile.' The average cost of a week's holiday care in England and Wales has risen by 3 per cent over the past year to £93, with fees ranging from nearly £120 for a place in a private and voluntary (PVI) sector setting in the East of England to just under £59 at a council scheme in Wales.
Scotland is now the most expensive region for holiday childcare, at more than £600 for a child this summer - a 5 per cent increase over last year to £100.38 a week.
Costs rose year on year in some areas but fell in others. In some regions, such as Greater London, council-run schemes at £74 are cheaper than PVI places (£102), but in others, such as Yorkshire and Humberside, the average charged by local authorities is higher than the PVI sector - at £104.25 against £98.04.
The survey of 132 Family Information Services (FIS) in England and Wales and Childcare Information Services in Scotland describes a postcode lottery and a patchwork of childcare availability. Many more of them report a loss of provision compared with last year - 39 per cent of FIS facilities in England (26 per cent in 2009), 43 per cent in Wales (37 per cent) and 47 per cent in Scotland (20 per cent).
'The FIS numbers saying that parents report a lack of holiday childcare is worryingly high,' says the study. Again, the average - 63 per cent in England - masks disparate regional trends. Three-quarters of FIS facilities in the West Midlands and 88 per cent in the south-east say parents have reported a lack of holiday childcare in their locality.
Launching the survey, Alison Garnham, chief executive of the Daycare Trust, said, 'We are hugely concerned by the gaping hole in the provision of holiday childcare across the country. The situation continues to get worse with the impact of local authority spending cuts, which are already attacking holiday childcare provision.'
EFFECTS OF EYFS
The research also suggests the recession has forced parents to opt for informal care and use friends or family over the long summer break. Some authorities report that reduced demand from parents resulted in planned schemes being scrapped.
Other factors halting schemes across the country are the requirement to follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) when offering places to the youngest children, and inconsistency in the availability of suitable staff and premises from year to year.
A survey published by Skills Active, the sector skills council for playwork, says more than 40 per cent of playworkers lack playwork qualifications (see More information).
Shelly Newstead of Common Threads, a social enterprise group that promotes and supports playwork theory and practice, agrees that the need to work to the Early Years Foundation Stage is a major problem.
'In terms of holiday play schemes, a lot have closed or have changed their age range because of the EYFS. It is a crying shame. We had civil servants who wanted to write extra guidance for playworkers regarding the EYFS. Play England put the work out to tender in January, with the deadline of the end of March. Everyone knew there was an election looming and that the civil service would be going into purdah. We have missed the boat now. This government is not going to "waste" resources on that now.
'The whole EYFS process of assessing individual children is contrary to the ethos of playwork. I understand the need for assessment and observations in the early years during term-time, but not in the holidays and after school. I think children should enjoy free time. Play in playwork terms is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated.'
SUITABLE STAFF
The Sussex-based Early Years Childcare nursery chain has closed all but one of its holiday play schemes over recent years, because of difficulties in finding suitable staff and premises.
General manager Kate Peach says the company used local schools, but often suitable facilities were closed for repair and maintenance. 'We had people with playwork qualifications as play leaders and they would recruit excellent playworkers for the summer, but we would find the next year that they were maybe not available or no longer interested.
'It was difficult to maintain the quality to the level we wanted. The facilities we were working in were not of the quality of our settings, and there was a lack of continuity with the staff. We cared for the same children year to year and it could be difficult if they were asking after their favourite carer from the previous year.
'What we do really well is our nursery care, and we decided to focus on the things we do really well and not to continue with things that we could not do so well because of external influences.'
The only scheme it still operates is on the site of its Basingstoke nursery, where enough space is available. 'We have a beautiful environment, good facilities and equipment, and great staff who work at the nursery during the term time,' she adds.
RISING DEMAND
The Daycare Trust research predicts that demand for holiday childcare will rise as a result of the Government's forthcoming welfare reforms requiring all parents with school-aged children to look for work.
Obtaining help with the fees through tax credits can be a problem, according to Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children. 'You have to claim for it in advance. You often find that information about holiday schemes is not advertised much before the end of the summer term, but parents need to claim tax credits before then.
'The Daycare Trust survey went through Family Information Services. These need to do more to both log and identify need. So when a parent rings in asking what is available, that feedback should be logged, so it is recognised that there is a demand. FIS providers also need to be more pro-active about getting the information out on what is available.'
Another drawback identified by the survey is that most holiday provision is sessional. Veronica King, press and campaigns officer at the Daycare Trust, says, 'If you can find somewhere local and affordable that is decent enough, it is often not available for the length of time you need. Many places offer 10am to 12 noon or 10am to 3pm, so parents need to organise wraparound care.
'If you have more than one child, holiday provision can run to thousands of pounds. Parents are relying on friends, family or taking leave from work. There is a trend where parents cover the holidays by taking their annual leave in turn, but that means they are never on holiday together.'
The Daycare Trust wants to see reform of the tax credit system to give parents more help with childcare costs, and argues that holiday childcare schemes should be protected from spending cuts, because they provide an essential service to parents.
The Government is backing a pilot scheme offering a week's summer camp for 16-year-olds, but Ms Longfield argues that younger children can benefit just as much from holiday provision as the teenagers. 'Holiday provision can be critical in terms of helping children build confidence, learn new skills and enjoy different experiences. The 13 weeks of school holidays a year can provide children with important learning opportunities. That should not be forgotten.'
MORE INFORMATION
- Holiday Childcare Costs Survey 2010, www.daycaretrust.org.uk
- Playwork People 4, www.skillsactive.com/assets/0000/7086/PP4_Final.pdf.