Increasing the Take-up of Formal Childcare by Lower Income Families

This toolkit has been written by Daycare Trust as part of an ongoing project to support London’s local authorities in increasing the proportion of take up of formal childcare by lower income families. The long-term aim is to reduce child poverty and improve children’s outcomes.

Formal childcare comes in many forms, both part and full-time – day nurseries, childminders, pre-schools, playgroups, nursery classes, holiday play schemes and out-of school clubs. Lower income families have help with the cost of formal childcare through a range of mechanisms such as the free part-time early education place for three and four year olds, free childcare for training and learning for work and of course the childcare element of the working tax credit. Some families may also be able to benefit from the childcare voucher scheme, although many may be better off accessing the childcare element of the working tax credit instead.

This section of the toolkit provides a wealth of background information, ideas and links to support those who wish to encourage the take up of formal childcare.

• The Parental Journey See HERE

• Increasing take up- inputs - Take a look at the CHART produced by DCSF and click on each input to access key learning, links and relevant case studies all supporting the take up of formal childcare.

• Reducing poverty and improving children’s outcomes. These pages explore the context and rationale for increasing the take up of formal childcare, including ways of measuring progress. See HERE

• London National Indicator 118 data, charts and maps See HERE for quick links for London’s practitioners 

• A regional summary of learning: Childcare take up and the NI 118 indicator. See HERE

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