The growing childcare crisis for Spalding and South Holland as parents struggle to find places
Parents are facing an increasing struggle to find childcare after it was revealed that South Holland has a shortage of almost 300 places.
Calls have been made for the Government to provide more funding for providers after latest data from Lincolnshire County Council shows our district needs 291 full-time places to cater for demand.
About 125 places have been ‘provided or being developed’ — but more than half of those are in the planning stage and the situation has got worse over the last two years, while the needs of youngsters in childcare have also increased. In 2022, the area was nearly 100 places short.
By September next year, parents will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare support for children over the age of nine months under new reforms — a move that could add more pressure to the system.
Stephanie Barrett, who owns BeBright Pre School in Spalding, is not surprised that the shortage has increased with the amount of housing being built locally — and says the Government needs to act.
She said: “I am a 55 place setting operating and operating at around 32 children each session and the reasons for that are because the needs of the children now require highly skilled staff and we receive very little extra funding for this.
“Staff are not paid enough for the job role, it is not attractive salary for the complexity of the role. We are operating at around 50% of our children requiring support to access their early years education that is more than the 1:8 adult to child ratio.
“We do receive lots of phone calls for places, particularly of three year old families moving to the area however at three years old this is too late. Parents and carers need to be thinking about a space for their child from nine months old with the introduction of the government funding from nine months.
“The local council is trying its best to support the sufficiency need but the problem is higher up at government level, it all stems from the low funding for providers and with the introduction of the National Insurance rises for employers like myself this is another huge cost to us that we have no choice but to ask parents/carer for help, its another financial battle for us all which is going to impact us all greatly.”
A report to Lincolnshire Schools Forum shows South Holland has a shortage of 75 places for the baby to 2-years age group while the area needs 141 spaces for the two to three years section and has a shortfall of 75 places in the three to four years age group.
Boston has a shortage of 252 spaces, East Lindsey needs 218 places while Lincoln requires 216 spots and West Lindsey has a shortfall of 84 places.
However, not every district is suffering with a shortage of spaces with South Kesteven and North Kesteven reporting a surplus.
Lincolnshire County Council received £1,461,094.28 from the Department of Education to provide more spaces.
Coun Patricia Bradwell executive member for children’s services, said: “In 2022, there were two nurseries in South Holland that closed unexpectedly. Since then, the council has been working with the childcare sector to create new and additional places in the area.
“There is also a need to develop places that might be required when the childcare offer for working families expands to 30 hours from September 2025 as part of national reforms.
“Current planning shows a potential shortfall of 291 full-time equivalent places in South Holland. To date, 59 places have been developed to support the childcare reforms and a further 66 places are in the planning stages.
“The situation continues to be closely monitored, and we’re working with the sector to explore options to develop places further. This includes identifying available buildings, registering new childcare providers in the market and a programme providing match-funding to support the development of new places.”
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