Unaffordable Childcare Traps Families In Poverty And Deepens Emotional And Financial Stress Of Parents

Childcare must become more accessible, in order to alleviate poverty, assist parents back into work, improve household income and support family wellbeing, states a new report from Durham University Business School.

“Childcare Should Not Be A Luxury” explores the provision of formal and informal childcare across the North East of England through the experiences of families, carers and childcare providers, focusing on the impact to everyday life, employment and health.

Co-authored by Dr Charmele Ayadurai of Durham University Business School alongside Dr Xiaofei Qi of Durham University’s School of Education, and led by Health Equity North, with support from Newcastle University and the University of Manchester, the report highlights how cuts to benefits and welfare support have impacted vulnerable families across the North East, a region already experiencing higher than average levels of disadvantage.

This lack of suitable, affordable childcare options it states, is inflicting significant strain on families both financially and emotionally, and also leads to a number of critical challenges for the sector itself.

In regards to finances, the report highlights that the cost of childcare was often too high for many families to afford, limiting parents’ employment opportunities. For those who could meet the cost, the impact to their salaries was often too big to be sustainable, leaving insufficient funds to cover other essential living costs.

Furthermore, the study identified a significant gulf in support designed to aid families with childcare costs, as parents are required to already be in work in order to apply for it. For those attempting to both find a job and secure a childcare place, there was little to ease the initial financial burden.

Clarity on financial support available to working parents was also cited to be lacking, causing additional difficulty for those parents already vulnerable and marginalised in society, including families where English is not the first language, those with special education needs, disabilities and medical needs, and families experiencing separation or addiction recovery.

As a result, wellbeing was also highlighted as a key issue to be tackled. The study found that parents often experienced mental repercussions, experiencing loneliness, isolation and anxiety.

Dr Ayadurai says, “Many parents spoke of a loss of identity as they struggled to find time for themselves beyond work and family commitments, and the sacrifices they made in their lives and careers to support their families.”

For the children unable to access childcare settings at an early age, opportunities to develop vital social development skills, and secure the support to become school ready were also missed.

“Good childcare is often the difference between families living and families thriving,” continues Dr Ayadurai.

For the sector, low pay and insufficient wider support in managing the emotional and developmental needs of children and their families was found to drive high staff turnover and create barriers to recruitment, further limiting provisions.

In tackling this, the report calls for a reinvention of the early years childcare and benefits system, placing childcare as a vital part of national and regional economic infrastructure.

The report makes a number of recommendations for policymakers;

1. Reforming childcare funding and benefits to make the system more transparent and supportive
2. Conducting regional assessments on childcare sufficiency, accessibility and impact, prioritising families with additional needs.
3. Expanding the remit of and investment in early years childcare to aid child development
4. Improving workforce pay and conditions, raising wages and training opportunities for childcare workers to reduce the potential for staff shortages

Dr Qi says, “This study has made it clear that it’s time to start focusing on parents with different set of resources namely income as they face very different options for the care of their young children. Childcare policies and programs should be better organised to support the dual roles of parents as providers and nurturers.”

In providing economically for their children whilst also ensuring they experience the nurturing environments they need, the researcher say that not only will parental wellbeing be protected, but children will have a far stronger start in life.

Further information, and access to the full report can be found via the Durham University website.


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