You are here: News Parents missing out on vital support as over half of England’s FIS cut budgets
6 February 2014
By Rebecca Griffin
New research published today (The Work of Family Information Service in England 2013/14) shows a growing number of local authorities across England are failing in their legal duties to families to provide outreach and childcare brokerage services.
A survey revealed that of the 152 local authority Family Information Services in England, at least 16 were not providing any childcare brokerage at all, and 53 per cent have cut their outreach services. This could undermine the delivery of the government’s flag-ship free early education offer for the country’s most disadvantaged two year olds.
Under the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities in England are obliged to run a service providing information, advice and assistance about childcare and other activities of benefit to parents, children and young people up to the age of 20.
Around 430,000 parents and professionals each year benefit from Family Information Services. These provide a wide range of essential information covering childcare, children’s centres, play, sports and arts activities for children, youth clubs and classes for parents.
The research also shows that while there is excellent practice in some local authorities, budget cuts have seen a reduction in staff and services in 58 per cent of Family Information Services over the last 18 months, with some 52 per cent planning further cuts or changes to service provision or structure.
Anand Shukla, Chief Executive of Family and Childcare Trust said:
“Many families don’t know about the services available to them. These are usually low income families, families without internet access or who move around a lot, such as families in the Armed Forces. Family Information Services have a legal duty to reach out to these groups which they have done using health visitors, attending events, street leafleting and providing peer to peer support. “These cuts are particularly worrying at a time when raising parental awareness and demand for the two year old offer is the key childcare priority across the country. The Family and Childcare Trust is concerned that some local authorities are letting down the families who most need their help and support.”
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Contact: Mark Bou Mansour, Communications and Campaigns Manager. Telephone: 0207 940 7535, mobile: 07538 334 772, email: mark@familyandchildcaretrust.org.
Notes to editors:
Contact information for Family Information Services for each local authority in England can be found at www.familyandchildcaretrust.org.uk/findyourfis
In England, section 12 of the Childcare Act 2006 obliges local authorities to run a service providing information, advice and assistance about childcare and other activities of benefit to parents, children and young people up to the age of 20. Additional regulations attached to section 12 of the Childcare Act 2006 provide a detailed outline of the type of childcare information that local authorities are required to provide to families including: contact details and registration information; the costs of childcare; the times it is provided, and its suitability for children with disabilities or special educational needs.
40 per cent of parents found the most common source of information about childcare was through word of mouth, such as from friends or relatives. (The Department for Education’s Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents 2012-13) In the same report, 39 per cent of parents said they did not have enough information about childcare in their local area.
The report ‘The Work of Family Information Services in England in 2014’ is based on research findings from a survey of 152 Family Information Services in England. 88 per cent of local authorities responded.
The survey was conducted to give a comprehensive picture of the scale and nature of enquiries, staffing, outreach practices and the impact of spending cuts.
About the Family and Childcare Trust
The Family and Childcare Trust aims to make the UK a better place for families. We are a leading national family charity in the field of policy, research and advocacy on childcare and family issues, with over 40 years’ experience. Our on-the-ground work with parents and providers informs our research and campaigns. We focus on the early years and childcare because they are crucial to boosting children’s outcomes throughout life and supporting parents to work.