Authored by Lester Coleman, Sam Shorto and Dalia Ben-Galim 

In its 21st annual survey, Coram Family and Childcare finds that childcare costs have risen once again- this year up by 2.5 per cent for those aged under two- a year on year trend that we have seen over the 21-year lifespand of this survey. We have also found an increased number of local authorities saying that there is not adequate provision to meet the demand for early years and primary school children.

The survey also reveals that the number of children accessing early years entitlements has plummeted. The free entitlements have been shown to narrow the attainment gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their more affluent peers, but the impact of the pandemic and the drop in uptake means that this gap is beginning to widen again, reversing years of progress.