By Bernice Kuang, Brienna Perelli-Harris and Ann Berrington.
Finding suitable, affordable childcare is a challenge for many families throughout the UK. Early years care and education is of societal interest because child development forms the foundation for future generations of citizens and workers.
Recent pressures, including the cost of living crisis, shortage of childcare workers, and the closure of childcare settings due to the Covid-19 pandemic, have made securing childcare even more difficult.
Using nationally representative data from the Generations and Gender Survey, a new large scale UK survey collected in 2022-2023, this policy briefing reveals the types of childcare UK families are using and the cost. Focusing on families with preschool-aged children (0-5 years), the findings show differences between families depending on socioeconomic situation.