The number of childcare places available.
This indicator can be used to monitor change in the number of childcare places available. For parents in low income groups there is a shortage of affordable and appropriate childcare, both for pre-school and school-aged children. There is an increased risk of poverty amongst families with young children as lack of affordable child care often discourages parents from working. A study of 20 countries, mostly European, found that the UK had the highest childcare costs of all countries, amounting to a quarter of average earnings. Evaluation of non-parental out-of-home day care before the age of 5 years has found that it is associated with improvement in a range of educational and social measures. However, the effect of early separation of parent and child on the child's social and emotional development and attachment is still in debate.
Legacy unique identifier: P01093