Over twice as many childcare places (64,173) have been lost during the winter lockdowns than in the first six months of the pandemic. Providers have been closing at a concerning rate, with 3.6 times more providers (7,566) closing between Sep-Mar 20/21 than in Mar-Aug 2020.
New data from Ofsted released today shows that in the six months up to March 2021, there were 14,385 fewer childcare places and 3,292 fewer providers in England. This represents a 4.4% net loss of childcare providers and 1.1% net loss of childcare places. This decrease is being largely driven by childminders leaving the market.
Prior to the pandemic, childcare provision was already scarce for some groups of children. According to data from Coram Family and Childcare, for disabled children in England, only 25% of local authorities reported having sufficient childcare in 2020.
New research published today by the Local Data Project run by Women’s Budget Group shows that the availability and affordability crisis in childcare is being exacerbated by the pandemic and subsequent childcare closures.