Childcare sufficiency assessment
The Early Years and Childcare team have a statutory duty to collect, monitor and create a Childcare Sufficiency Assessment and subsequent Delivery Plan which supports and identifies:
- Choices parents make about their work and family responsibilities
- Childcare is available to all families and whether it is flexible to meet their circumstances
- Childcare services are provided to improve circumstances for children and their families
- Affordable good quality childcare services that are appropriate for their family needs
It is against these objectives of choice, availability, quality and affordability that our Early Years and Childcare vision is framed.
- Ensuring Sufficient Availability: ensuring that childcare places are available for parents and addressing the sustainability problems faced by childcare providers in disadvantaged areas
- Choice and Flexibility: increasing the choices open to parents to help them balance work and family life, particularly when their children and very young
- Improving Quality: winning parent’s confidence through improving the quality of childcare places across the board, so that improved child outcomes are guaranteed
- Promoting Greater Affordability: making childcare more affordable particularly for low and middle-income families, so that more parents have a real choice about returning to work
If you would like to discuss Childcare Sufficiency, you can contact the Southampton Family Information Service.
