Daycare Trust: Young people speak out on childcare

The Daycare Trust will today launch 'Listening to Children', part of a series of reports in our 'Listening to Families about Childcare' project, a wide ranging workstream funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Daycare Trust interviewed children and young people between the ages of 6 and 12 (up to 18 for those with disabilities) about their experiences and views on childcare, as well as their thoughts on what childcare means for children today.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Alison Garnham, Joint Chief Executive of Daycare Trust said:

"This is a truly fascinating piece of research. We often talk about childcare in terms of the needs of parents and the workforce, but we rarely hear the views of the children themselves.

"The children we interviewed were sharp and perceptive, offering a wide range of fascinating insights into their experiences of childcare.

"To ensure high quality childcare it's crucial that we take into account the views of the children who use it."

Key findings:

Benefits of childcare

One of the key findings from the research was that most children enjoy being in childcare and wish they could have more of it. Most of the children we spoke to said that after school clubs allowed them to make friends and have access to facilities and activities they would not otherwise have. Generally, childcare was seen as a positive influence on children's lives - providing them with opportunities to have fun, make friends, learn, and get some independence from their families. The fact that having childcare allows their parents the freedom to work was seen as the most important benefit of childcare by some children.

The importance of childcare workers

Childcare workers at after-school and holiday clubs play an important role in children's experiences of childcare. The children expressed an awareness of which staff were there because they wanted to be and not just because it was their job. Whilst younger children wanted staff to be caring and attentive, older children tended to prioritise having staff who were young, fun and inter-active.

Concerns about childcare

While most children spoke very positively about childcare and the benefits it can have for children and their families, some children had particular concerns. These included feeling unsafe when leaving after school clubs in the dark; worry about being bullied inside and outside clubs; and the initial fear of starting a new club, especially for shy children. Some children also brought up concerns over the cost of after school clubs and the impact that could have on their families. Other children worried that using childcare means that many children don't spend as much time as they should with their parents, and that being in a structured, adult-led environment at all times can be a barrier to children's autonomy and control over their own time.

Having listened to what children have told us, Daycare Trust are making the following recommendations:

· Government should make out-of-school care affordable for all children by subsidising out-of-school activities for all children from poorer families and ensuring sufficient funding is provided to local authorities to subsidise out-of-school and school holiday childcare.

· Ensure clubs are run in line with the expressed needs of children by: allowing children the freedom to choose what activities to participate in and how they should be run, and ensuring that all clubs provide access to outdoor space.

· In line with many children's preference for young, energetic and willing staff, schools should be encouraged to develop schemes to train older school children to assist staff in out-of-school clubs and consider employing youth-work trained staff to help run clubs.

· Improve safety in settings and for children travelling from settings by increasing the visible presence of staff; facilitating links between schools and local police forces; increasing the provision of 'walking buses' or other official transport to and from childcare settings.


Ends.


NOTES TO EDITORS

PDF Copies of the report are available on request.

About Daycare Trust
Daycare Trust is the national childcare charity, campaigning for quality affordable accessible childcare for all and raising the voices of children, parents and carers. We advise parents and carers, providers, employers, trade unions and policymakers on childcare issues. We recognise that everyone is unique and we value difference in our communities. We listen to all views and are committed to act without prejudice. We oppose all discrimination and promote equality in all we do.

Daycare Trust is calling on the Government to:

1. Meet parents' aspirations for universal childcare services by:
- expanding free places for two, three and four-year olds to at least 20 hours a week, for 48 weeks in the year and
- subsidising out of school activities for all 11-14s and for younger children from poorer families, aiming ultimately to make them free.
2. Tackle the affordability crisis by giving local authorities the means to develop sustainable services in poorer areas and provide free places for those missing out, including places for disabled children, parents needing out of hours care, Further Education students and parents of under-threes who want to train.
3. Set new standards for the pay of childcare workers, either through national benchmarks or incentives such as the Graduate Leader Fund.

Daycare Trust runs an information line (020 7840 3350) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10am-5pm. Parents can also visit www.daycaretrust.org.uk for information.
Daycare Trust is a member of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, www.ecpc.org.uk.
For further information, contact Daycare Trust on 020 7840 3350.