Parents Say What They Want Next From National Childcare Strategy

Daycare Trust launches MORI survey findings and a new report calling for children's centres in every neighbourhood

The childcare gap has closed substantially since 1997. And around half of parents in Britain think childcare provision has improved over the last three years since the launch of the National Childcare Strategy.

But parents say they want more affordable childcare, more places available and more employer support. 93% of parents say that affordable quality childcare should be available to all children aged twelve months or older, according to a new MORI survey commissioned by Daycare Trust with support from Unison.

The findings are published today (Monday 30 April 2001) by Daycare Trust in the lead-up to National Childcare Week on 20-27 May.

Daycare Trust, the national childcare charity, today calls for children's centres to be set up in every neighbourhood to meet the needs of all children and parents in a new report, 'All Our Futures (Thinking Big: Childcare for All Briefing Paper No.1)', sponsored by BT and to be launched this evening by Margaret Hodge, Minister for Employment and Equal Opportunities, at a reception hosted by BT.

The Government must also promote its childcare strategy better to raise parents' current low awareness of childcare benefits and provision, says Daycare Trust.

Key findings from the MORI survey include:

• 49% of all parents believe that childcare provision has improved over the last three years. 23% say it has not improved and 28% do not know. Mothers are more likely to perceive an improvement than fathers (56% compared with 42%).
• Parents say the top three improvements they want are: more affordable provision (43%), more places available (38%) and more employer support with childcare (38%).
• Parents say it is the Government that should contribute more to the cost of childcare (60%), 41% say employers and only 16% say parents themselves.
• Awareness of many childcare initiatives is low - only 8% of parents are aware of Childcare Link, 16% their local children's information service, 22% early years development and childcare partnerships and 25% the National Childcare Strategy. But 78% of parents are aware of the childcare tax credit (which provides help towards the costs of childcare for parents on lower incomes) - up from 23% in 1999 shortly before it was introduced.

'All Our Futures' assesses progress made since the launch of the National Childcare Strategy in May 1998. It reports that the childcare gap has closed from one place for every nine children under the age of eight in 1997 to one place for every seven children in 2000. There have been substantial increases in the number of day nurseries and out of school clubs but a 23% fall in the number of childminders.

The Government has pledged to create one million new places for 1.6 million children by 2004, including 900 new neighbourhood nurseries in the most disadvantaged communities and 100 early excellence centres.

The new report calls for children's centres to be set up in every neighbourhood to create universal, comprehensive childcare services for all children and parents who need them. It argues for a single childcare budget to simplify the 45 funding streams currently available for developing childcare and a review of financial help for parents towards the costs of childcare.

Stephen Burke, Director of Daycare Trust, said: "Parents are clearly beginning to notice the improvements in childcare in this country. But for many parents more affordable quality childcare is still a key priority. Parents, particularly those on lower incomes, face a daily struggle with a fragmented patchwork of provision."

"Creating children's centres in every neighbourhood - building on the new nurseries, early excellence centres and Sure Start programmes - would give every child and every family the services they want and need. Children's centres are key to investing in our future. They are key to building a coherent childcare infrastructure which families can rely on like local health and education services."

John Steele, Group Personnel Director, BT said: "At BT, we believe that 'Thinking Big' on childcare is not simply the right thing to do but is key to the success of both our business and society."

"Enabling parents to work in harmony with their parenting responsibilities is essential if we are to continue to attract, recruit and retain the best. We want to be at the heart of a society in which access to lifelong learning and employment is the norm for everyone and believe that a cohesive childcare strategy is a vital ingredient in achieving this. We are consequently delighted to sponsor this important initiative."

Dave Prentis, General Secretary of Unison, said: "Organising childcare is a major headache for working parents - not just pre-school care, but wrap-around and holiday care for school children. That is why Unison is pleased to team up with Daycare Trust in sponsoring this poll, to help parents make their voices heard."

"The message is clear - parents welcome the initiatives introduced by this Government, but more needs to be done. We need to increase the supply of high quality childcare, provided by well trained, decently paid childcare workers."

"Parents know you can't get quality on the cheap, but childcare has to be affordable, and that means it has to be subsidised from the public purse and by employers."

Technical details

'Thinking Big: Childcare for All' (Briefing Paper 1) is sponsored by BT and supported by Northern Foods. It is available price 1635 (inc p&p) from Daycare Trust, 21 St George's Road, London SE1 6ES; t: 020-7840 3350.

Using its General Public Omnibus, MORI conducted a quota sample of 587 interviews with parents/guardians of children aged 0-14 years, across 189 constituency-based sampling points in Great Britain. Interviews were carried out using CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing), face-to-face in respondents' homes between 22-27 March 2001. Data have been weighted to reflect the national population profile.

Daycare Trust is the national childcare charity. It promotes quality affordable childcare for all and advises parents, providers, employers, trade unions and policy makers on childcare issues. Daycare Trust runs a childcare helpline for parents (020-7840 3350), open or calls Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm. Parents can also visit www.daycaretrust.org.uk

National Childcare Week 2001 takes place on 20-27 May and is organised by Daycare Trust. Its theme of 'childcare voices, childcare choices' aims to highlight the importance of listening to children and parents as childcare services expand.