Childcare sufficiency report 2023

Securing sufficient childcare allows parents to work when childcare places are:

• available, accessible and affordable and 
• delivered flexibly in a range of high quality settings

Following the childcare sufficiency assessment in 2022, we have successfully converted funding into capital to support the development of places within the childcare delivery plan.

Local authorities are required by legislation to secure sufficient childcare, so far as is reasonably practicable, for children aged 0 to 14 (or up to 18 for disabled children), for:

• working parents, or
• parents who are studying or training for employment

To carry out this duty in Lincolnshire, we consider the following:

• the local childcare market, including the demand and supply that currently exists
• the local labour market, including the sufficiency of the local childcare workforce
• the quality and capacity of childcare providers and childminders registered with a childminder agency.  This includes their funding, staff, premises, etc
• schools offering wraparound childcare (from 8am until 6pm and in school holidays)
• where existing providers might expand their provision and new providers entering the local childcare market
• supporting providers with business plans and financial forecasting to support their sustainability 
• ensure parents understand the childcare available to them.  Encourage them to access the Government funding available to support the cost of childcare

In this report, we will:

• reference how we are securing sufficient childcare to meet the needs of children and families in Lincolnshire. This includes those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• reference how we will secure access to government funding, including the 2, 3 and 4-year-old entitlements
• provide information about:
  • the current and projected supply and demand of childcare for particular age ranges of children
  • the affordability, accessibility and quality of provision
  • details of how we will address any gaps in childcare provision

Lincolnshire’s sufficiency surveys

We completed a Childcare Sufficiency Assessment (CSA) in May 2023. The key aim is to inform strategic planning to ensure we meet our statutory childcare sufficiency duty.

The CSA draws on the data received from:

• a survey of registered childcare providers and schools offering childcare provision
• a survey of parents accessing childcare in Lincolnshire

We collected data between 24 April and 8 May 2023.  We asked childcare providers to report their information based on a specified week:  

• week commencing 17 April 2023 for term time childcare
• 3 to14 April for holiday provision

In total we surveyed 999 childcare providers and schools with a 96% return rate.  The table below shows the type and number of providers surveyed.

We surveyed both primary and secondary schools to ensure that we captured all wraparound services within the survey.  This method identified 21 schools providing either a breakfast club or afterschool club that were not on the early years and childcare database.

In addition, the CSA draws on the data received from a survey of Lincolnshire parents collected between 24 April 2023 and 21 May 2023. The parental survey was widely promoted via social media, childcare providers, children’s centres, websites and posters. 1,893 respondents completed the survey, 26% more than previous years.

You can view the parental survey engagement report.

The data collected within the surveys is used alongside population, housing and birth-rate data in order to assess the need for childcare by districts, children’s centre reach areas and electoral wards.  

Key findings

• across Lincolnshire, the sufficiency of childcare is generally good based on current demand
• South Holland remains an area where we continue to grow the market due to sufficiency needs
• the introduction of the childcare reforms will place additional demand on places for under 2's in some areas of the county
• there is a need to focus on developing places for out of school provision in some areas. This will be considered in the Government ambitions for schools to have 8am to 6pm wraparound provision by September 2026
• birth rates have declined across the country. We will need to monitor this to ensure the development of places is responsive to demand