Childcare strategy 'fails families'

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Families are increasingly turning to grandparents and other relatives for free childcare amid signs that nurseries and childminders are too expensive for many.

Figures showed the proportion of parents using Mr Brown's much-hyped free childcare scheme is lower than ministers thought, with 56,000 children missing out.

The study, produced for the Department for Children by academics at the National Centre for Social Research, said: "The evidence suggests overall that the 10-Year childcare strategy has not had as much impact as intended, particularly in relation to the most disadvantaged children."

In December 2004, Mr Brown, who was chancellor at the time, promised "a 10-year childcare strategy" to help create a "welfare state that is truly family-friendly for the first time in its history".

The strategy formed the centrepiece of Mr Brown's pre-budget report in 2004 and was seen as a key announcement ahead of the general election the following year. He announced an extension of free nursery education for three and four-year-olds and said funds would be provided to keep all schools open from 8am to 6pm.

This would allow parents to work while their children were attending after-school clubs or childcare - the so-called "extended schools" programme. Mr Brown declared at the time: "Parents should be guaranteed more accessible, affordable and safe childcare while they are at work."

But the Government-funded report, based on a survey of 7,200 parents last year, showed that many families in England could not find affordable childcare. There had been no increase in the proportion of parents taking up formal nursery places since Mr Brown made his promise in 2004, the study said.

"A substantial minority of parents still thought that affordability was fairly or very poor (36%) and that there were not enough childcare places in their local area (37%)," the report said.

"Despite a small improvement in parents' views on the affordability of childcare, cost remains an important barrier to the use of childcare for some parents, especially large families and those with younger children."