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UK Policy Briefing

Losses in the Childcare Sector

This briefing examines new data from the Department of Education revealing a significant fall in the number of childcare providers since April 2020.

This briefing looks at the new data published by the Department of Education which reveals a significant fall in the number of childcare providers since April 2020.

  • Between April 2020 and March 2021, the number of childcare providers fell by 2,940, from 74,983 to 72,043.
  • Losses in the number of childcare providers increased sharply at the start of 2021. In January, a total number of 1772 providers were lost between the beginning and end of the month.

Any plan to build back better after Covid must address the crisis in the childcare sector or it will continue to fail the child who are locked out of critical early years development and the mothers who rely on it to undertake paid work.

Read the briefing here.

Read the briefing in large print here.

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