Poll: Is there a shortage of flexible childcare in the West Midlands?

It reveals that, despite Government financial support for pre-school education, practical problems such as a lack of evening care and inflexible hours are still a barrier for parents who want to work.

At the same time, many mothers and father are reporting that the cost of childcare is stopping them, or their other half, from increasing their working hours or accepting a job.

• Is there a shortage of flexible childcare in the West Midlands? Vote now in our poll at the bottom of the article and join the debate by leaving your thoughts in the comments section beneath the story.

Under the current system, all three and four-year-olds in England are entitled to 15 hours of free nursery education or childcare each week, and this is being extended to the most disadvantaged two-year-olds.

But the new report, published by Citizens Advice, says that many parents are struggling to find suitable and affordable care, with the options available to low-income families and those working evenings, weekends and unreliable hours "considerably narrower" and often involving a compromise on quality.

It found that 75% of childcare providers did not offer evening or weekend care, and more than half (57%) needed a notice period of a month or more to change care arrangements.

The better the Ofsted rating a childcare provider holds, the more notice they required to change childcare arrangements, the report says.

Just under 80% of the best providers wanted a notice period of a month or more, compared to just over 50% of those with poorer ratings.

The study, based on research carried out by Citizens Advice bureaux, including 400 surveys of childcare providers, also found that nearly half (46%) of childminders did not offer the Government's free early education hours.

It concludes that finding suitable childcare that fits around working hours and financial circumstances is "not a straightforward task".

"Many studies have shown that working outside of a '9 to 5' full time job in the UK is not unusual," the study says.

"Parents who work in low income jobs like social care, retail and hospitality are also less likely to have control and choice over their working hours including working outside of standard hours and working to shift patterns."

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