The report, Repeat Study of Parents' Demand for Childcare, carried out on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) between February and July 2001, has found that 4.5 million families (86 per cent) with children aged nought to 14 used some form of childcare in the past year. Childcare was more likely to be of an informal nature, with just under three-quarters (72 per cent) of families saying they had informal arrangements with friends and family, while just over half of families (52 per cent) now use registered provision to meet some of their needs. Of those parents who did not use childcare at all, this was usually because they were looking after their children themselves, the report said.
Almost nine in ten (88 per cent) of parents used childcare in the past year where at least one parent was in work, compared with just under three-quarters (74 per cent) where no parent was working. But the biggest change in the use of registered childcare between 1999 and 2001 was the number of lone parents now using it, up from 21 per cent in 1999 to 28 per cent.
However, the report found that they were more likely than couples to have some difficulties in paying for childcare, and families on low incomes were also more likely than other families to have had some problems in meeting their childcare costs.
A quarter (24 per cent) of all families experienced some form of unmet demand, whereby the parent had needed childcare, but had been unable to get it.
The average size of household interviewed was four, with two-fifths containing one child, 43 per cent two, and 17 per cent three or more children. A fifth (19 per cent) of all households were claiming the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) and 3 per cent were also receiving the childcare tax credit.
Although the childcare tax credit element of WFTC is supposed to pay up to 70 per cent of childcare costs but only three in ten parents (31 per cent) receiving it said this was the case, while one in four said 50 per cent or less of their costs were met, although 18 per cent of parents said that more than 70 per cent of childcare costs were being met by the tax credit.
The report said, 'Whereas a small majority (53 per cent) of parents said the childcare tax credit had affected the type of childcare they used, a much smaller proportion (27 per cent) reported that they had changed the number of hours they had used childcare for.
'Not surprisingly, almost all (96 per cent) parents reported an increase in the number of hours.'
As for parental opinion about childcare provision, just over three-quarters (76 per cent) rated it as 'very good' , though about half (49 per cent) reckoned their childcarers 'could improve at least some aspects of provision'.
Rosemary Murphy, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, welcomed the report's findings and said, 'The figures showing an increase in the use of childcare are encouraging - particularly the figures showing greater access to childcare by lone parents and those benefiting from WFTC.'
The report is available from the DfES on 0845 60 22260.
