Introduction
Securing sufficient childcare allows parents to work when childcare places are:
- available, accessible and affordable and
- delivered flexibly in a range of high-quality settings
Local authorities are required by legislation to secure sufficient childcare, so far as is reasonably practicable, for children aged 0 to 14 (or up to 18 for disabled children), for:
- working parents, or
- parents who are studying or training for employment
To carry out this duty in Lincolnshire, we consider the following:
- the local childcare market, including the demand and supply that currently exists
- the local labour market, including the sufficiency of the local childcare workforce
- the quality and capacity of childcare providers and childminders registered with a childminder agency. This includes their funding, staff, premises, etc
- schools offering wraparound childcare (from 8am until 6pm and in school holidays)
- where existing providers might expand their provision and new providers entering the local childcare market
- supporting providers with business plans and financial forecasting to support their sustainability
- ensure parents understand the childcare available to them. Encourage them to access the Government funding available to support the cost of childcare
In this report, we will:
- reference how we are securing sufficient childcare to meet the needs of children and families in Lincolnshire. This includes those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
- reference how we will secure access to government funding, for children aged nine months to five years
- provide information about:
- the current and projected supply and demand of childcare for particular age ranges of children
- the affordability, accessibility and quality of provision
- details of how we will address any gaps in childcare provision
The childcare reforms
The 2023 spring budget announced a range of measures known as the childcare reforms. These:
- support education
- help parents with childcare so they can return to work more easily
The reforms will expand the funded childcare offer. Starting September 2025, working parents will receive 30 hours of funded childcare. This will apply from the term after a child turns nine months old until they reach school age.
For a working parent of a child nine months and over, this will save up to £6,500 a year for just a single child. This is on top of:
- the upfront childcare support for parents receiving Universal Credit, and
- the support that is available through Tax-Free Childcare
The Government also announced their ambition for all parents of primary school-aged children to be able to access childcare in their local area. This is known as wraparound childcare. It will be available between 8am and 6pm during the term-time.
The childcare reforms are being rolled out over the following period:
- April 2024 - 15 hours funded childcare for eligible working parents of 2-year-olds
- September 2024 - 15 hours funded childcare for eligible working parents of 9-month-olds
- September 2025 - 30 hours funded childcare for eligible working parents from 9 months to school age
The expansion of the funded offer will impact the demand for childcare places across the county. It will increase the demand for under 2s and 2-year-olds. This change is reflected within this report.
Lincolnshire’s sufficiency surveys
We completed a Childcare Sufficiency Assessment (CSA) in May 2023. The key aim is to inform strategic planning to ensure we meet our statutory childcare sufficiency duty.
The CSA draws on the data received from:
- surveys of registered childcare providers and
- schools offering childcare provision
We collected data between 29 April and 12 May 2024. The data was based on the week beginning 22 April 2024. In total, 639 providers were surveyed with 99% response rate.
In addition to the provider data, the CSA draws on the data received from a survey of Lincolnshire parents. This was collected between 16 April 2024 and 14 May 2024. The parental survey was widely promoted via:
- social media
- childcare providers
- children’s centres
- websites
- posters
The survey was completed by 1,164 people.
1,106 of these respondents use or intend to use childcare in Lincolnshire.
View our parental survey engagement report.
The data collected within the surveys is analysed alongside population, housing and birth-rate data. This assesses the need for childcare by:
- districts
- children’s centre reach areas
- electoral wards
In addition to the Early Years survey, we conducted a survey for Wraparound Childcare (WAC). This data was collected between 26 February and 10 March 2024. The analysis and information from this survey will be detailed in a childcare reforms paper in the autumn term 2024.
This report details the early years sufficiency available across Lincolnshire.
Key findings
- the parental survey showed that 67.4% of parents have access to all the childcare they need
- the childcare reforms have created a growing demand in the childcare market in Lincolnshire
- the supply of places for 2s and under will need to grow in line with parental demand
- there is a need to focus on developing places for out-of-school provision in some areas. This will be considered in the Government ambitions for schools to have 8am to 6pm wraparound provision by September 2026
- birth rates have continued to decline across the county and nationally. We will need to monitor this to ensure the development of places is responsive to demand