Stats NZ

Childcare a challenge for 1 in 6 working parents

Not having care available when they needed it was the main childcare difficulty (38 percent) for parents who worked, or wanted to work, Stats NZ said today. Care being too expensive was their next main difficulty (19 percent).

“Many working parents use childcare arrangements to make their work possible. However, there’s a group who experience difficulties getting childcare when they’re at work or wanting to work. More flexible childcare arrangements may help parents take up work opportunities,” labour market and household statistics senior manager Jason Attewell said.

The Childcare in New Zealand Survey, a supplement to the Household Labour Force Survey in 2017, asked parents of children 13 years and younger about their children’s care arrangements, and their own work and study. Those who worked or had wanted to work in the last 12 months were asked about any difficulties getting childcare and any work-related consequences of those difficulties.

The 2017 survey found that 16 percent of all parents who worked or wanted to work had difficulties getting childcare. A lack of available care at the times needed was the main childcare difficulty for 38 percent of parents, up from 25 percent in 2009. Just 6.7 percent of parents reported ‘no spare places available’ as their main difficulty in 2017, down from 13 percent in 2009.

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14Main difficultyPercentNote: Error bars represent variability in estimates.Main childcare difficulties working and wanting-to-work parents have, September 2009 and 2017 quarters20092017No spare places /waiting listNo spare places / waiting listTransport difficultiesNo care available locallyNot available ondays/times neededNot available on days/times neededLack of informal care bysomeone knownLack of informal care by someone knownToo expensiveOther difficultyChild or carer illness0204060Stats NZ

Main childcare difficulties working and wanting-to-work parents have, September 2009 and 2017 quarters

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14PercentMain childcare difficulties working and wanting-to-work parents have, September 2009 and 2017 quarters20092017No spare places /waiting listNo spare places / waiting listTransport difficultiesNo care availablelocallyNo care available locallyNot available ondays/times neededNot available on days/times neededLack of informal careby someone knownLack of informal care by someone knownToo expensiveOther difficultyChild or carer illness801020304050Stats NZ
Main difficulty2009error (' low ')error (' high ')2017error (' low ')error (' high ')
No spare places / waiting list1016.34.39.1
No spare places / waiting list13.16.7
Transport difficulties1.13.40.22
Transport difficulties2.31.1
No care available locally7.312.64.19.2
No care available locally106.7
Not available on days/times needed20.929.634.142.5
Not available on days/times needed25.238.3
Lack of informal care by someone known10.717.310.115.3
Lack of informal care by someone known1412.7
Too expensive15.22315.122.1
Too expensive19.118.6
Other difficulty6.710.77.812
Other difficulty8.79.9
Child or carer illness5.21048
Child or carer illness7.66

In 2017, nearly a quarter of mothers (23 percent) experienced difficulties getting childcare while working or wanting to work, compared with 9.3 percent of fathers.

Sole parents were more likely to have difficulties (27 percent) than those in two-parent families (14 percent) in 2017. For sole parents, 44 percent reported their main difficulty was care not being available at the times needed, up from 25 percent in 2009.

Childcare difficulties lead to work consequences

More than two-thirds (68 percent) of parents who experienced difficulties getting childcare in 2017 also experienced work-related consequences due to those difficulties. For this group:

  • 49 percent made changes to their usual work
  • 23 percent turned down paid work
  • 20 percent stopped searching for paid work
  • 18 percent were prevented from making changes to their usual work
  • 5.3 percent resigned from paid work.

Note: Parents may report more than one type of work-related consequence.

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14ConsequencePercentNote: Error bars represent variability in estimates.Work consequences resulting from childcare difficulties, by family type, September 2017 quarterSole parentTwo-parent familyResigned from paid workStopped search for paid workTurned down paid workCause changes to usual workPrevented changes to usualworkPrevented changes to usual workTotal who had at least oneconsequenceTotal who had at least one consequence0255075100Stats NZ

Work consequences resulting from childcare difficulties, by family type, September 2017 quarter

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14PercentWork consequences resulting from childcare difficulties, by family type, September 2017 quarterSole parentTwo-parent familyResigned from paid workStopped search for paidworkStopped search for paid workTurned down paid workCause changes to usualworkCause changes to usual workPrevented changes to usualworkPrevented changes to usual workTotal who had at least oneconsequenceTotal who had at least one consequence60255075100Stats NZ
ConsequencesSole parenterror (' low ')error (' high ')Two-parent familyerror (' low ')error (' high ')
Resigned from paid work4.714.125.6
Resigned from paid work9.43.8
Stopped search for paid work24.841.211.218.3
Stopped search for paid work3314.8
Turned down paid work2744.31522.8
Turned down paid work35.718.9
Cause changes to usual work42.758.444.253.5
Cause changes to usual work50.548.8
Prevented changes to usual work15.428.613.520.6
Prevented changes to usual work2217
Total who had at least one consequence67.684.460.169
Total who had at least one consequence7664.6

As a result of their childcare difficulties, sole parents were more likely to turn down paid work, or to stop searching for paid work, than those in two-parent families. In 2017, 36 percent of sole parents turned down paid work and 33 percent stopped searching for paid work – compared with 19 percent and 15 percent of parents in two-parent families, respectively.

Due to childcare difficulties, mothers were more likely to turn down paid work (27 percent of mothers) and stop searching for paid work (22 percent) than fathers (14 percent and 12 percent, respectively).

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