For many parents across Cymru, work simply doesn’t pay in the face of mounting childcare costs.
The recent March of the Mummies protests across the UK, including in Cardiff, saw 15,000 mothers and families take to the streets to demand action on childcare reforms. Many families reported that their childcare costs are now higher than their rent or mortgage payments.
Whilst Senedd members debated childcare provision on Tuesday, families need to see urgent action to deliver an expansion of the Childcare Offer. This is necessary if we are to have the chance of combating the serious impacts of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis on children and their parents.
The UK has moved into the top spot for the most expensive childcare system in the developed world, with Welsh families seeing the highest increases in childcare costs within the UK itself over the past year. Though the Welsh Government’s existing Childcare Offer is a crucial source of support for some, those who need it most are currently left out of these provisions.
The lack of affordable childcare is a key driver of poverty and gender inequality. Lack of childcare is one of the most frequently cited barriers to women’s employment, resulting in less women participating in work environments and damaging women’s career options. 86% of single parents are mothers, and a staggering 46% of single parent households are experiencing poverty — twice as high as the overall poverty rate in Wales.
Single parents aren’t alone in this. Almost three quarters of all Welsh families who don’t use formal childcare say they can’t afford to use it. When formal childcare is not an option, it is most often women who take on the responsibility of full-time childcare. 81% of participants in a 2021 Women’s Equality Network (WEN) Wales survey did not agree that current childcare provisions in Wales sufficiently support parents, particularly mothers, to enter, remain and progress in employment.
Access to free childcare is also strongly limited by serious gaps in provision across Wales. The Family and Childcare Trust Childcare Survey 2022 showed that childcare sufficiency has decreased since 2021 for all categories in Wales, except afterschool care for 12-14 year olds. Less than a third of local authorities (29%) have enough childcare for the 30 hours free early education entitlements under the Childcare Offer. There are significant shortages for disabled children and parents working atypical hours with no local authorities reporting that there is childcare under these in all areas of their authority.
WEN Wales and Oxfam Cymru have made a series of recommendations on what this expansion should look like, which included making the Childcare Offer affordable and accessible for parents of children from the age of six months.
Sarah Rees, Head of Oxfam Cymru, said:
“Key childcare support in Wales is only available after difficult decisions on women’s working lives have already been made. There’s a clear lack of provision for children between the ages of 1 and 3 which is not covered by the UK or Welsh governments.
Whilst we are pleased that Welsh Government have increased support for children aged 2-3, we need to know if 2.5 hours of support per day, for families living in Flying Start areas is truly helping those who need it the most.
It’s pivotal that we recognise and value the unpaid care work for all ages that is so crucial to our society, and work towards making unpaid care a choice rather than a necessity. At the moment, we are losing women from the work force simply because they cannot afford to be there.
We’re keen to hear from the Deputy Minister for what consideration has been given to the economic benefits of widening childcare to all families from the age of 6 months, a measure which would help lift many single parents out of poverty and which would also ensure all children in Wales are able to fulfil their potential.”
Catherine Fookes, Director of WEN Wales, spoke on concerns about current gaps in the childcare provision:
“Families need to see investments in nursery and early education provisions to ensure that they are accessible to all parents who are eligible. In particular, there’s a real need to address suitable provisions for parents who work atypical hours, for disabled children and those with learning difficulties, and for families living in rural areas.
While we recognise that the Deputy Minister acknowledged the shortages in service provision across Wales, we’d welcome words from her advising what steps Welsh Government is taking to address these serious gaps, to ensure that childcare is available to everyone who needs it, when they need it, and where they need it.”
Evelyn James, WEN Wales employee and mother of an 11 month-old, said: “I found it hard to find a job as a pregnant mom because no one deemed me fit to work when I was pregnant. Thanks to WEN Wales, I finally got a chance. I bring my baby into work meetings, it does not affect the work that needs to be done and our success story so far is proof of this. Being pregnant or a mother does not take away my aspirations as a person or ability to add value in my work.”
For more information or interviews please contact:
Natalie Terry, Oxfam Cymru; nterry1@oxfam.org.uk / 07906139293
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Mothers available for interviews/cast studies include Evelyn James (in English) and Bethan Sayed (in Welsh and/or English).
March of the Mummies protests were held on the 30th October 2022, organised by Pregnant Then Screwed.
73% of Welsh families who don’t use formal childcare can’t afford to use it statistic from Pregnant Then Screwed.
UK highest average childcare costs in ‘developing world’.
Family and Childcare Trust Childcare Survey 2022
Senedd debate on childcare took place on Tuesday 15th November, during the afternoon plenary session which commenced at 1pm.
Pregnant Then Screwed, Oxfam Cymru and WEN Wales are encouraging people to write to their local MS to have their say on childcare with the help of template letters, available in English and Welsh.
Statistics on the average childcare costs across the UK from NCT.
Information on barriers to women in employment taken from Chwarae Teg’s State of the Nation 2022 report.
Statistics on UK poverty rates are from the Joseph Roundtree Foundation’s UK Poverty 2022 report.
WEN Wales Inquiry into Childcare and Parental Employment also cited.