10 years on and still no childcare strategy…

In June, Employers For Childcare launched the findings from our 10th annual Northern Ireland Childcare Survey which received more than 3,600 responses from parents and childcare providers. The survey found the average cost of a full-time childcare place has increased by 11 per cent since 2010 when the first Childcare Survey was conducted, having risen faster than wages when adjusted for inflation. Even more starkly, the average cost of a week’s holiday childcare has risen by 56 per cent in this period. At the same time, costs have gone up for childcare providers, and continue to rise, with almost a third of providers expecting their economic situation to deteriorate in the year ahead. This is not sustainable for parents or providers, with many struggling to make ends meet.

Impact on working patterns

Despite progress towards gender equality, the findings show that, across households, it is still mothers who are more likely to experience a change in their working hours as a result of issues relating to childcare. Almost 20 per cent of mothers reported having decreased their hours of work, or having left work altogether, compared to 6 per cent of fathers.

Investment required urgently

Through this unique research, families and childcare providers have told us they want a fundamental overhaul of support for childcare. Government must listen, and deliver the necessary investment in a high quality, sustainable childcare system that is affordable for parents to access, and for providers to deliver. We are concerned Northern Ireland continues to fall behind the rest of the UK. In 2010 when we wrote that Northern Ireland was the only UK jurisdiction without a current childcare strategy, little did we think that this would still be the case 10 years on. This is unacceptable and lets down everyone using and working in the childcare sector.

The latest Northern Ireland Childcare Survey is available to download on our website:

www.employersforchildcare.org