Data set from Expansion to early childcare entitlements: Childcare Experiences Survey

Section 3 - Challenges finding a childcare place

Latest data

Published 1 September 2026

Last updated 1 September 2026

What challenges did respondents face while finding a place for their child, by SEND.

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Data set details

• Theme: Early years
• Publication: Expansion to early childcare entitlements: Childcare Experiences Survey
• Release: Spring term 2025/26 Fifth Wave
• Number of rows: 54
• Geographic levels: National
• Indicators:
  • Proportion of respondents
• Filters:
  • Challenges experienced finding a childcare place
  • Demographic group
• Time period: 2026

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Data set preview

Table showing first 5 rows, from underlying data

time_period	time_identifier	geographic_level	country_code	country_name	challenges_finding_place	demographic	demographic_group	percent
2026	Reporting year	National	E92000001	England	Accessing government guidance for childcare offers	Total	Total	10
2026	Reporting year	National	E92000001	England	Understanding guidance for childcare offers	Total	Total	22.3
2026	Reporting year	National	E92000001	England	Finding suitable childcare for my child which met my preferences	Total	Total	28.6
2026	Reporting year	National	E92000001	England	Securing a place at my preferred provider	Total	Total	26.3
2026	Reporting year	National	E92000001	England	Finding childcare that is affordable for me	Total	Total	29.5

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Variables in this data set

Table showing all 3 variables

Variable name	Variable description
challenges_finding_place	Challenges experienced finding a childcare place
demographic_group	Demographic group
percent	Proportion of respondents

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Footnotes

1. Respondents were asked to indicate whether any children in their household have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). Those who answered "Yes" for any of their children, even if not the child the entitlements were claimed for, are labelled "has SEND children".
2. Percentages do not sum to 100, as respondents could select multiple options for this question.

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Section 3 - Challenges finding a childcare place statistics and data:

Early Years Entitlements Evaluation and Analysis Team

Email: Your.childcare@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Julia Moldawan

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