Education Minister has welcomed the
publication of the first release of Official Statistics from the
Northern Ireland Childcare Survey 2024.
The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) was
commissioned by the Department of Education in 2024, to conduct a
Childcare Survey of households, the first of its kind in Northern
Ireland.
said: “I made a
commitment to improve the evidence base on childcare usage and
costs when I took up post. It is essential that we have
reliable and comprehensive data in order to develop
evidence-based policy. I therefore welcome the publication
of the results which have the authority of Official
Statistics.”
The Survey found that in 2024, 62% of children aged 0-4 were
using some form of childcare with 43% using paid childcare. On
average, children aged 0-4 in paid childcare, use 20 hours per
week. The most common source of childcare overall was
grandparents or relatives, at 32%. After-school and breakfast
clubs in schools, registered childminders and day nurseries were
all in the top five most used types of provision.
For the children using paid childcare the median monthly payment
was £225, increasing to £630 for children using more intensive
provision (31-40 hours). The vast majority of households (86%)
said that the quality of their childcare was good.
The Minister concluded: “Over the coming weeks, we will
be looking closely at the implications of the data for the
development of the Early Learning and Childcare Strategy which I
will bring to the Executive in the autumn. The survey
findings provide a valuable picture of childcare usage across the
whole population which has not previously been available. I
plan to engage directly with stakeholders on the findings, later
in the month.”
Notes to editors:
- The Official Statistics are available here: www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/childcare-survey
