Expanding the quantity and quality of London's childcare warns that a lack of affordable childcare would seriously affect business competitiveness and performance.
Mayor Ken Livingstone said, 'Childcare costs in London are, on average, 25 per cent higher than elsewhere in the country and this acts as a barrier for many, particularly women, who wish to return to work.'
The report urges employers to recognise the business benefits of providing childcare, including increased company productivity, reduced absenteeism and staff turnover, a rise in employee loyalty and a wider pool of candidates for recruitment.
Denise Freeland, senior childcare manager at the LDA, said, 'A number of international employers have taken on board family-friendly policies. But we have very few organisations in this country that have taken the same interest. This report hopefully will bring the issue of childcare to the fore.'
She said the next step was to establish an employer consultation group to drive forward the development of a good practice guide on childcare. 'A lot of employers are under the misconception that developing childcare policies is expensive. But the LDA wants to show that it is possible to start with simple, cost-effective solutions such as offering flexible working hours.'
The guide should be completed by spring 2005 and the LDA hopes to share it with the eight other Regional Development Agencies in England.
The report, produced jointly by the LDA, Daycare Trust and Bright Horizons Family Solutions, can be downloaded from www.lda.gov.uk.
