“Childcare deserts”: Some areas see one in four childcare places lost since 2019

13 May 2024

EMBARGO: 00.01 Monday 13th May

There are now 56,000 fewer childcare places in England than in 2019
Some areas have seen a 25% fall in the number of childcare places since 2019
Parents registering for government’s free childcare from today (13th May) left “without options” as childcare places fall
Lib Dems call for boost to childcare rates to cover costs of delivering high-quality childcare

Some areas of the country have become “childcare deserts” with a fall of more than 25% in childcare places since 2019, House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

It comes as applications open today for parents to register for 15 hours of free childcare from September for children from 9 months old. The Liberal Democrats said the fall in providers was putting the deliverability of the government’s plans into doubt and leaving parents in “without options”. The party is calling on the Government to review the rates paid to providers for free hours to ensure they cover the actual costs of delivering high-quality childcare.

The latest figures show that across England there has been a fall of 56,000 in childcare places between 2019 and August 2023. That is down 4.3% but in some areas the level of closures is much higher.

In Rutland, more than a quarter of childcare places have closed since 2019, falling from 1,032 to 759. In Sunderland, there has been a 23.2% drop, in Telford and Wrekin a 19.9% drop and Darlington a 18.9% fall. In total, four in five areas in England have seen a decline in the number of childcare places available since 2019.

The figures also show the number of childcare providers, including nurseries and childminders, has dropped by a fifth since 2019, from 61,162 to 48,143. Every area in the country but one has seen a fall in the number of childcare providers since 2019, leaving parents with less choice as to where they can get childcare. Surrey, Hampshire, and Hertfordshire saw the largest falls in the number of providers with drops of 402, 395, and 333 respectively.

The South East saw the largest decline in the number of providers of any region with a staggering 2,332 lost since 2019.

Last month the National Audit Office criticised the Government’s roll out saying that dates for the scheme were decided without the DfE or the Treasury understanding whether the sector would be able to provide the number of places needed. It recommended the DfE continuously review the expansion in case it needs to relook at the timeline due to concerns about place numbers and staffing.

Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Munira Wilson MP said:

“This Conservative government has created childcare deserts through their years of neglect. This stark postcode lottery means that parents in many areas of the country are left completely without options.

“Free hours are no good if parents can’t find a good nursery or childminder for their child – and thanks to this Conservative government's underfunding millions of parents now face the almost impossible task of finding childcare.

“There are fewer providers, less choice for parents and no guarantee they will find a place for their child at all.

“The government urgently needs to review the rates it pays providers to ensure they cover the actual costs of delivering high-quality childcare and early years education.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

House of Commons Library research can be found here.

NAO Report can be found here.

Please note that provider figures change estimates reflect net change in the number of registered providers - this might not equate to closures as such. For example, a nursery in a given area may have closed but another provider opened a nursery in the same year, childminders may have left the register, but others join to offset changes etc.

Childcare on non-domestic premises: nurseries and other day care groups
Childcare on domestic premises: Working with three or more other adults on premises that are also used entirely or mainly as a private home.
Childminders; caring for children in an individual’s home (or someone else’s home) for payment or reward. Working alone or with up to 2 other childminders.

Changes in the number of providers may not equate to changes in early years childcare places.

The local authority figures may not always sum to the regional and national totals, as elements of estimation may be included in the aggregated totals to account for missing data at local level.