The Childcare Trap

Polly Toynbee

London is the most dynamic regional economy in Europe, but vast numbers of its citizens are excluded from the benefits of economic growth. Households with children fare particularly badly in London, with low wages and high living costs meaning that many parents are unable to find employment that will leave them better off than on out-of-work benefits. Nearly one in four children in London is living in a household where nobody is in employment, compared to 16 per cent nationally. There is growing concern that the cost of childcare is a major barrier to employment for families with young children.

The journalist Polly Toynbee, who has a distinguished record in reporting on poverty and social exclusion, was asked by the Mayor to research these issues. She sets out her findings in this report, The Childcare Trap, published in November 2003:

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She presents strong evidence that lack of affordable childcare is a major factor contributing to London’s high rate of child poverty, and that a radical expansion of childcare provision is needed to tackle social polarisation in the capital.

Back to The London Childcare Strategy

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