Over 70% of parents say childcare has impacted their ability to work

Over 70 per cent of parents have said childcare accessibility has impacted their ability to work, with almost a quarter having cut their hours at some point to compensate.

Research from Indeed found women are twice as likely as men to have reduced their hours because of childcare responsibilities, with 31 per cent of women compared to 15 per cent of men.

24 per cent of parents surveyed had cut their working hours to compensate for childcare gaps, while nine per cent have changed jobs and a further five per cent have even left the workforce at some point.

The financial impact is a major strain, with 81 per cent of parents saying childcare costs put significant pressure on their household.

67 per cent rely on family or friends to help bridge the gap due to cost and availability, rising to 75 per cent when looking at lone parents specifically.

79 per cent believe accessible childcare options would significantly improve their quality of life.

67 per cent of parents saying they miss important moments in their child’s life, such as school plays and events, because of work arrangements - a figure that rises to 81 per cent for lone parents.

71 per cent of working parents report feeling torn between being a good parent and a good employee, while 62 per cent think their career progression has been negatively affected by their care responsibilities.

78 per cent of parents say they have some flexibility for things like school runs, school holidays and illnesses, though only 28 per cent would describe that flexibility as easy to access.

68 per cent say remote and hybrid working has made balancing care responsibilities easier, with men more likely to agree than their female counterparts.