Reporting year 2023

Childcare and early years survey of parents

Nationally representative survey of parents of children aged 0-14 on their use, experiences and views on early education and childcare.

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• Produced by: Department for Education
• Published: 25 July 2024

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29 data sets available for download

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• Headline stats v2

  National

  headlines stat 3

  • Number of rows: 1
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion of children aged 0-4 using any childcare in 2023
    • Proportion of children aged 0-4 using formal childcare in 2023
    • Proportion of children aged 5-14 using formal childcare in 2023
  • Time period: 2023

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• Headline stats

  National

  headline stat 1

  • Number of rows: 1
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion of children aged 0-14 using any childcare in 2022
    • Proportion of children aged 0-4 using any childcare in 2022
    • Proportion of working mothers of 0-14-year-olds who said that having reliable childcare helping them go to work
  • Time period: 2023

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• 1. Childcare use by children (aged 0 to 4)

  National

  The proportion of children aged 0-4 using childcare in the most recent term time week by year.

  • Number of rows: 42
  • Indicators:
    • Percentage of children aged 0-4 using childcare providers in the most recent term time week
  • Filters:
    • Childcare type
  • Time period: 2010 to 2023

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• 1. Childcare use by children (aged 5 to 11)

  National

  The proportion of children aged 5-11 using childcare in the most recent term time week by year.

  • Number of rows: 42
  • Indicators:
    • Percentage of children aged 5-11 using childcare providers in the most recent term time week
  • Filters:
    • Childcare type
  • Time period: 2010 to 2023

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• 1. Childcare use by children (aged 12 to 14)

  National

  The proportion of children aged 12-14 using childcare in the most recent term time week by year.

  • Number of rows: 42
  • Indicators:
    • Percentage of children aged 12-14 using childcare providers in the most recent term time week
  • Filters:
    • Childcare type
  • Time period: 2010 to 2023

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• 1. Childcare use by families (with children aged 0 to 4)

  National

  The proportion of families with children aged 0-4 using childcare in the most recent term-time week by year.

  • Number of rows: 42
  • Indicators:
    • Percentage of families using childcare providers among families with children aged 0 to 4 years
  • Filters:
    • Childcare type
  • Time period: 2010 to 2023

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• 1. Childcare use by families (with children aged 5 to 14)

  National

  The proportion of families with children aged 5-14 using childcare in the most recent term-time week by year.

  • Number of rows: 42
  • Indicators:
    • Percentage of families using childcare providers among families with just children aged 5 to 14 years
  • Filters:
    • Childcare type
  • Time period: 2010 to 2023

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• 1. Childcare use during school holidays by families

  National

  Proportion of families using childcare during the school holidays

  • Number of rows: 64
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion
  • Filters:
    • Childcare type
  • Time period: 2008 to 2023

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• 1. Reasons for not using childcare

  National

  The proportion of families who had not used any childcare in the last year selecting various reasons for not doing so

  • Number of rows: 68
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion selecting each response
  • Filters:
    • Age of children in family
    • Reason selected
    • Type of reason: choice or constraint
  • Time period: 2023

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• 1. Changes to childcare provision by age of child

  National

  The proportion of families with child(ren) aged 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 saying that various changes to childcare arrangements would make it better suited to their needs.

  • Number of rows: 45
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion selecting reason
  • Filters:
    • Changes to childcare provision that would make it better suited to parents’ needs
    • Family and area characteristics
  • Time period: 2023

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• 2. Impact of the 30 hours offer on work

  National

  Impact of the 30 hours childcare offer on work

  • Number of rows: 4
  • Indicators:
    • Perceived impact of the 30 hours offer on work
  • Filters:
    • Response options
  • Time period: 2023

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• 2. Awareness of 15 hours entitlement

  National

  Awareness of the 15 hours childcare entitlement

  • Number of rows: 50
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion selecting reason
  • Filters:
    • Awareness of the 15 hours offer
    • Family and area characteristics
  • Time period: 2023

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• 2. Awareness of 15 hours entitlement for 2YO

  National

  The proportion of families with with a two-year old child who are aware of the 15 hours offer for 2 year olds.

  • Number of rows: 6
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion selecting reason
  • Filters:
    • Age of children in family
    • Awareness of the entitlement to government funded early education for 2-year-olds
  • Time period: 2023

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• 2. Awareness of 30 hours entitlement

  National

  The proportion of families with child(ren) aged 0 to 4 who are aware of the 30 hours offer for 3 to 4 year olds.

  • Number of rows: 50
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion selecting reason
  • Filters:
    • Awareness of the 30 hours offer
    • Family and area characteristics
  • Time period: 2023

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• 2. Awareness of new entitlements

  National

  The proportion of families with child(ren) aged 0 to 2 who are aware of the new 30 hours offer for 9 month to 2 year olds.

  • Number of rows: 50
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion selecting reason
  • Filters:
    • Awareness of the new 30 hours offer
    • Family and area characteristics
  • Time period: 2023

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• 3. Perceptions of affordability by age of child

  National

  How families with child(ren) aged 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 rate the affordability of local childcare.

  • Number of rows: 42
  • Indicators:
    • Percentage of parents rating the affordability of local childcare as very or fairly good
  • Filters:
    • Age of children in family
  • Time period: 2010 to 2023

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• 3. Difficulty paying for childcare

  National

  How families with child(ren) aged 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 rate the difficulty of paying for local childcare.

  • Number of rows: 48
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion of parents finding it difficult or very difficult to meet their childcare costs
  • Filters:
    • Age of children in family
  • Time period: 2008 to 2023

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• 4. Perceptions of availability by age of child

  National

  How families with child(ren) aged 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 perceive the availability of local childcare.

  • Number of rows: 48
  • Indicators:
    • Percentage of parents saying the availability of local childcare places is ‘about right’
  • Filters:
    • Age of children in family
  • Time period: 2008 to 2023

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• 4. Perceptions of availability by age of child (not enough local places)

  National

  How many families with child(ren) aged 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 perceive there to not be enough local childcare places.

  • Number of rows: 42
  • Indicators:
    • Percentage of parents saying the availability of local childcare places is ‘not enough’
  • Filters:
    • Age of children in family
  • Time period: 2010 to 2023

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• 4. Changes to provision

  National

  The proportion of families saying that various changes to childcare provision would make it better

  • Number of rows: 120
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion selecting reason
  • Filters:
    • Changes to childcare provision that would make it better suited to parents’ needs
    • Family and area characteristics
  • Time period: 2023

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• 4. Changes to provision (ages 0 to 4)

  National

  The proportion of families with children aged 0 to 4 only saying that various changes to childcare provision would make it better

  • Number of rows: 15
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion selecting reason
  • Filters:
    • Changes to childcare provision that would make it better suited to parents’ needs
    • Family and area characteristics
  • Time period: 2023

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• 4. Changes to provision (ages 0 to 4, 5 to 14, All)

  National

  The proportion of families with children aged 0 to 4 only, both 0 to 4 and 5 to 14, and 5 to 14, saying that various changes to childcare provision would make it better

  • Number of rows: 45
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion selecting reason
  • Filters:
    • Changes to childcare provision that would make it better suited to parents’ needs
    • Family and area characteristics
  • Time period: 2023

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• 4. Parent perceptions

  National

  Parental perceptions on local childcare

  • Number of rows: 360
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion
  • Filters:
    • Response selected
    • Type of perception
  • Time period: 2004 to 2023

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• 4.Perceptions of quality by age of child

  National

  Parental perceptions on the quality of local childcare by child age

  • Number of rows: 48
  • Indicators:
    • Percentage of parents rating the quality of local childcare as very or fairly good
  • Filters:
    • Age of children in family
  • Time period: 2008 to 2023

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• 5. Home Learning Environment

  National

  The proportion of families saying that they engage in various home learning activities at least once a day, by year

  • Number of rows: 35
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion of families engaging in home learning activities at least once a day, among children aged 0-4
  • Filters:
    • Home learning activities
  • Time period: 2017 to 2023

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• 5. Home Learning Environment Activities

  National

  The frequency with which parents engage in various home-learning activities with their children

  • Number of rows: 36
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion of families engaging in home learning activities at least once a day, among children aged 0-4
  • Filters:
    • Frequency
    • Home learning activities
  • Time period: 2023

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• 6. Maternal work

  National

  The proportion of mothers reporting that they were working

  • Number of rows: 56
  • Indicators:
    • Percentage of mothers working FT and PT
  • Filters:
    • Mothers working pattern
  • Time period: 2010 to 2023

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• 6. Work factors

  National

  Factors that influence the decision to work

  • Number of rows: 14
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion selecting reason
  • Filters:
    • Childcare arrangements that helped mothers to go out to work
  • Time period: 2023

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• 6. Work factors by age of child

  National

  Factors that influence the decision to work by child age

  • Number of rows: 42
  • Indicators:
    • Proportion selecting reason
  • Filters:
    • Age of children in family
    • Reason selected
  • Time period: 2023

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Supporting files

Supporting files provide an area for teams to supply non-standard files for download by users where required.

2 supporting data files

• Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents 2023 - Accompanying tables

  Tables to accompany the findings from the 2023 Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents

  Download (xlsx, 776 Kb)

• Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents: Compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics

  Further detail of how the Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents complies with the the Code of Practice for Statistics

  Download (pdf, 62 Kb)

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Data guidance

Description of the data sets included in this release, including information on data sources, coverage, quality and any data conventions used.

Description

The publication methodology, available on the publication report, should be referenced alongside this data. It provides methodological information on the survey design, sample, fieldwork, data analysis, interpretation, weighting and definitions used.

Coverage

This publication provides information on a survey of parents with children aged 0 to 14 in England. It covers parents’ use of childcare and early years provision, and their views and experiences, including:

• what childcare is used by different types of families
• what childcare is used by different types of families and children
• changes in take-up of childcare over the years
• parents’ reasons for using or not using childcare and for choosing particular providers
• parents’ views on the providers they used and on childcare provision in their local area in general
• the perceived impacts of the 30 hours of childcare policy on families and children
• the influence of childcare arrangements on mothers’ decisions about whether to go out to work and working patterns
• children’s use of digital technology in the home learning environment

File formats and conventions

• z refers to an observation that is not applicable. This is used for 2019 data as this was completed by parents of 0-4s only.
• x is used when the data is unavailable. This is used when the data was not collected in that year.
• * means the figure rounds to 0, but is not 0.

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Childcare and early years survey of parents statistics and data:

Early Years Analysis and Research

Email: EY.ANALYSISANDRESEARCH@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Rachel Murphy

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If you have a media enquiry:

Telephone: 020 7783 8300

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