The Programme for Government 2011-15 commits the Northern Ireland (NI) Executive to ‘publish and implement a Childcare Strategy with key actions to provide integrated and affordable childcare’.
In order to contribute to the evidence base informing the Childcare Strategy, this research aims to:
- provide an up to date assessment of the supply of childcare in NI
- provide an assessment of the current and future demand for (formal and informal) childcare
- identify key factors determining demand and supply of childcare
- determine the nature and extent of market failure associated with childcare provision
- assess the potential economic/employment impacts of addressing any gaps in provision
Childcare sector research report 2014