This policy brief by Bernice Kuang, Brienna Perelli-Harris and Ann Berrington (2024) examines the challenges many families throughout the UK face in finding suitable, affordable childcare. Early years care and education are of societal importance, as child development forms the foundation for future generations of citizens and workers.
Recent pressures, including the cost of living crisis, shortages of childcare workers, and the closure of childcare settings during the Covid-19 pandemic, have made securing childcare even more difficult. Drawing on nationally representative data from the Generations and Gender Survey, a large-scale UK survey conducted in 2022–2023, this brief highlights the types of childcare UK families are using and the associated costs. Focusing on families with preschool-aged children (0–5 years), the findings reveal differences in childcare use and expenditure depending on families’ socioeconomic circumstances.
Who uses childcare in the UK and how much does it cost?
University of Southampton, CPC (2024). Series Number: 73.
Authors: Kuang B, Perelli-Harris B, Berrington A.
