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DfE survey of parents highlights need to make childcare more affordable

Birth to Threes Families Funding Policy & Politics Provision Research
The DfE’s latest survey of parents reveals an increasing number want childcare to be made more affordable as families, particularly those on lower incomes, continue to find it ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ to meet the cost.
Nearly half of local authorities in Scotland have yet to decide on their funding rate for partnership nurseries from next week PHOTO Adobe Stock
Nearly half of local authorities in Scotland have yet to decide on their funding rate for partnership nurseries from next week PHOTO Adobe Stock

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.’

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