How do you feel about childcare?
How do you feel about the provision of childcare in Northern Ireland? Employers For Childcare has launched its 2019 Childcare Cost Survey for parents and childcare providers and we want to hear your views!
Aoife Hamilton, Policy & Information Manager at Employers For Childcare highlights the importance of this research now in its 10th year: “We encourage parents and childcare providers from across Northern Ireland to take part in the online survey. This survey gives you the opportunity to have your voice heard by Government. The research informs our lobbying work and gives us a platform to secure much needed investment in Northern Ireland’s childcare sector to ensure it can create a system that meets the needs of families and childcare providers.”
Last year’s results revealed that for two thirds of families here the childcare bill is their largest or second largest monthly outgoing whilst the average weekly cost of a full-time childcare place was £166. At the same time, childcare providers told us they have sought not to increase their fees over the past year, in some cases absorbing increasing overheads. This is simply not sustainable.
Referencing the 10-year milestone Aoife continued: “We have been tracking the cost and provision of childcare in Northern Ireland for ten years now and we are interested in finding out how the landscape has changed since 2010, exploring what different trends and factors have influenced childcare provision and what this means for families”.
To share your experience of using or providing childcare, click on the relevant link below and complete a short online questionnaire:
- Parents who enter are in with a chance of winning a family overnight stay at the Galgorm Resort & Spa whilst childcare providers have the opportunity of winning a £100 Boots voucher.
- Winners will be announced once the survey has closed, and the results of the research will be published later in the year.
- For more information about the annual Childcare Cost Survey or to find out what financial help you may be entitled to towards the cost of childcare, call our Family Benefits Advice Service on 0800 028 3008 for free, impartial and confidential advice.
