Britain could run out of childminders by 2033, researchers warn – as thousands leave the profession every year
Britain could run out of childminders in the next decade if the number of people leaving the profession continues at its current rate, a think tank has warned.
Childcare provision is a postcode lottery with deprived and rural areas seeing fewer and poorer quality options, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and Save the Children.
The research found that rural areas have 31 per cent fewer childcare places and 29 per cent fewer places rated as good by Ofsted compared to inner cities and town centres.
Meanwhile the most deprived areas have 32 per cent fewer places per child and 25 per cent fewer good places compared to the most affluent areas.
Researchers found that Walsall, in the West Midlands, is the English local authorities with the lowest numbers of childcare places, with three in four children having poor access to childcare.
Of the poorest fifth of parents with young children, only a third use formal childcare, compared to 73 per cent of the highest earning households, according to the IPPR report.
It also found that over two-thirds of parents of young children who work in professional jobs such as lawyers, doctors and architects use formal childcare, compared to less than half of parents who work as cleaners, care workers and hairdressers.
The think tank said lack of childcare provision is in part ‘driven by the falling numbers of childminders’ who in addition to nurseries deliver nearly all childcare for children aged under three.
The think tank said lack of childcare provision is in part ‘driven by the falling numbers of childminders’ who in addition to nurseries deliver nearly all childcare for children aged under three (Stock Image)
Sir Keir Starmer and shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson during a visit to Nursery Hill Primary School, in Nuneaton, Warwickshire in June
Researchers found that Walsall, in the West Midlands, is the English local authorities with the lowest numbers of childcare places, with three in four children having poor access to childcare
Researchers warn: ‘At the current rate – a drop of around 3,000 childminders per year – there may be none left by 2033.’
It added that another cause is a lack of school-based nurseries, with the number of children in primary school nurseries falling by the equivalent of 42,000 children since 2015/16.
It comes as working parents of children from nine months old can now access 15 hours a week of free childcare following a government expansion of free childcare eligibility.
Ruth Talbot, policy and advocacy adviser at Save the Children UK, said: ‘Childcare that is accessible and affordable is critical for families and while we welcome the recent expansion in provision, major reforms are still needed to fix the system.
‘A new focus on children with SEND is essential and we support making better use of the standard two-year-old health checks to unlock funding. Local leadership and the development of not-for-profit childcare trusts is also something the UK Government should consider, ensuring the poorest children are targeted.’
Jodie Reed, associate fellow at IPPR, said: ‘There is an opportunity to re-imagine childcare as a public-led service – more akin to schools.
‘National and local governments should play a much more proactive role in addressing problems in the market, supporting the system to deliver quality and delivering a real childcare guarantee for every child.’
