ÎÞÂëÌìÌÃ

by Jess Gibson

England is one of the worst countries in Europe for early education and childcare access, according to a world-first study by Australia’s Victoria University (VU).

The study – International childcare: Mapping the deserts – has been released today in the UK following September’s early entitlement expansion for eligible parents of children from nine months old.  The research mapped access for 10 million children across nine countries: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Australia, France, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands.  

The study, which focused on access to centre-based childcare and nurseries to allow international comparison, found that 45% of families in England live in ‘childcare deserts’ – areas where three or more children are vying for one early years place. When childminder provision is taken into account, this percentage falls to almost a third of the country being classified as a ‘childcare desert’, which while lower, means that accessibility in England is still poorer than most countries in the study.  

Victoria University's research also demonstrates huge disparities in childcare access across England.  

Of the nine regions across England, the north-west, London and the south-east rank best for accessibility with the fewest number of people living in a childcare desert. Meanwhile, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and The Humber, and the north-east have the greatest number of people living in a childcare desert. 

The research found that childcare accessibility is better in the wealthiest parts of the country – a trend correlating with wealthier areas of towns and cities, too – with accessibility in the top 10% of advantaged neighbourhoods in England 16% greater than in the 10% most deprived areas.  

This highlights a link between childcare accessibility and price that’s further demonstrated by findings showing that, in areas of London, the most advantaged parts of the capital – Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Wandsworth – have not only the best childcare accessibility but also the highest fees. This suggests providers go where they can charge more and have the possibility of greater profits, adding to early education and childcare shortages elsewhere across England.. 

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the ÎÞÂëÌìÌÃ, said: "Today’s research from Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute is extremely concerning, and yet entirely unsurprising.  

"We know that access to quality early years provision has a proven positive impact on a child’s life chances – and yet, almost a third of the English population live in a so-called 'childcare desert', with England ranking as one of the worst countries in Europe in terms of accessibility. Worse still, it's those children from more disadvantaged backgrounds, who we know benefit the most from access to early education, who are most likely to struggle to find a place.  

"At a time when more children than ever are eligible for early entitlement hours, it has never been more important to ensure that there are enough early years places to meet demand. But as today's findings show, this couldn't be further from reality – a direct consequence of the sustained lack of support given to the sector over recent years.  

"Let’s be clear, the only way that every child – regardless of where they live – will be able to easily access high-quality early education is if the sector is properly supported to increase capacity. This means long-term funding that reflects the true cost of delivering places, and a staffing strategy that addresses both recruitment and retention. Anything less, and those set to gain the most from early education will continue to lose out. "