Childcare sufficiency assessment

All local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure that the provision of childcare in their areas is sufficient to meet the needs of parents, to allow them to work or undertake education or training.

As part of this, local authorities undertake a Childcare Sufficiency Assessment.

We must ensure that:

• there is sufficient childcare available for working parents and those parents training to enter work.
• there is sufficient childcare for every child to access their entitlement to free early education and care.

To do this a childcare sufficiency assessment is published, refreshed on an annual basis, and fully re-written every 3 years.

The assessment:

• is a local market research and analysis document.
• helps us identify priorities and manage the local childcare market.
• enables the childcare market to manage itself and reduces the need for council intervention.