Expansion to early childcare entitlements: Childcare Experiences Survey
Spring term 2025/26 Fifth Wave

Description

This document describes the data collected through the fifth wave of the Childcare Experiences Survey (CES).

Coverage

The data used in this publication relates to parents living in England and is based on their experiences of using funded childcare provision. The underlying dataset includes information on children aged 9 months to 4 years and provides breakdowns by household income, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), disability status, and region.

File formats and convention

The underlying data files contain unrounded estimates derived from survey responses.

No disclosure control measures have been applied, as the data is not considered sensitive and does not include additional demographic or geographic variables that could be used to identify individuals.

Data files

All data files associated with this release are listed below, together with guidance on their contents. To download these files, please visit the data catalogue.

Data files

Section 2 - Ease of the working families childcare entitlement process

Filename: ease_of_application_process.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Whether survey respondents agreed that the application process was easy.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name      |  Variable description
-----------------  |  -----------------------------------------------
demographic_group  |  Demographic group
easy_application   |  Whether agree that application process was easy
percent            |  Proportion of respondents

Footnotes:

1. Respondents were asked to indicate whether any children in their household have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). Those who answered "Yes" for any of their children, even if not the child the entitlements were claimed for, are labelled "has SEND children".
2. For the majority of respondents who were claiming entitlements for one child, the age of the oldest child refers to the age of the child receiving government-funded childcare. For respondents claiming entitlements for more than one child, it refers to the age of the oldest child for whom the working families' entitlement was applied. The child's age was recorded at the time of the survey. Some children who were 2 years old when the entitlement was applied for may have turned 3 by the time of the survey.
3. Respondents were asked on a 5-point Likert scale to what extent they agreed or disagreed with the following statement: “The application process for the working families childcare entitlement was easy to follow”.


Section 2 - Ease of the working families childcare entitlement process by region

Filename: ease_of_application_process_region.csv
Geographic levels: National; Regional
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Whether survey respondents agreed that the application process was easy, broken down by region of England.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name     |  Variable description
----------------  |  -----------------------------------------------
easy_application  |  Whether agree that application process was easy
percent           |  Proportion of respondents

Footnotes:

1. Respondents were asked on a 5-point Likert scale to what extent they agreed or disagreed with the following statement: “The application process for the working families childcare entitlement was easy to follow”.


Section 2 - Accessing the 30 hours funded working families childcare entitlement

Filename: whether_accessing_entitlements.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Whether respondents were accessing the 30 hours of funded childcare entitlement, by SEND.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name          |  Variable description
---------------------  |  -------------------------------------------------------
accessing_entitlement  |  Whether accessing 30 hours working parents entitlements
demographic_group      |  Demographic group
percent                |  Proportion of respondents

Footnotes:

1. Respondents were asked to indicate whether any children in their household have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). Those who answered "Yes" for any of their children, even if not the child the entitlements were claimed for, are labelled "has SEND children".


Section 2 - Accessing the 30 hours funded working families childcare entitlement by region

Filename: whether_accessing_entitlements_region.csv
Geographic levels: National; Regional
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Whether respondents were accessing the 30 hours of funded childcare entitlement, by region of England.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name          |  Variable description
---------------------  |  -------------------------------------------------------
accessing_entitlement  |  Whether accessing 30 hours working parents entitlements
percent                |  Proportion of respondents


Section 3 - Waiting lists

Filename: waitlists.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Whether respondents were placed on a waiting list before they could access the childcare entitlement, by SEND.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name       |  Variable description
------------------  |  -----------------------------------------------------------
demographic_group   |  Demographic group
percent             |  Proportion of respondents
placed_on_waitlist  |  Whether placed on waiting list before accessing entitlement

Footnotes:

1. Respondents were asked to indicate whether any children in their household have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). Those who answered "Yes" for any of their children, even if not the child the entitlements were claimed for, are labelled "has SEND children".
2. If the child receiving government funded childcare was on a waiting list at the time of the survey, they may or may not still be on that waiting list, depending on whether they are now accessing the entitlement.


Section 3 - Challenges finding a childcare place

Filename: challenges_finding_childcare_place.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: What challenges did respondents face while finding a place for their child, by SEND.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name             |  Variable description
------------------------  |  ------------------------------------------------
challenges_finding_place  |  Challenges experienced finding a childcare place
demographic_group         |  Demographic group
percent                   |  Proportion of respondents

Footnotes:

1. Respondents were asked to indicate whether any children in their household have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). Those who answered "Yes" for any of their children, even if not the child the entitlements were claimed for, are labelled "has SEND children".
2. Percentages do not sum to 100, as respondents could select multiple options for this question.


Section 3 - Restrictions on usage of funded childcare hours

Filename: restrictions_on_hours.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Whether respondents faced restrictions on when they could use their funded hours.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                |  Variable description
---------------------------  |  ----------------------------------------------------------
demographic_group            |  Demographic group
percent                      |  Proportion of respondents
restrictions_on_using_hours  |  Any provider restrictions on when funded hours can be used


Section 4 - Factors influencing respondent's decision to use formal childcare

Filename: reasons_using_formal_childcare.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: What factors were most influential in respondent's decision to use formal childcare.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                |  Variable description
---------------------------  |  ----------------------------------
demographic_group            |  Demographic group
percent                      |  Proportion of respondents
reason_use_formal_childcare  |  Reasons for using formal childcare

Footnotes:

1. Percentages do not sum to 100, as respondents could select multiple options for this question.


Section 4 - Hours per week spent in formal childcare

Filename: weekly_childcare_hours.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: How many hours per week respondent's child was spending in formal childcare arrangements, by SEND.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name        |  Variable description
-------------------  |  ---------------------------------------
demographic_group    |  Demographic group
mean_weekly_hours    |  Mean hours of childcare used per week
median_weekly_hours  |  Median hours of childcare used per week

Footnotes:

1. Respondents were asked to indicate whether any children in their household have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). Those who answered "Yes" for any of their children, even if not the child the entitlements were claimed for, are labelled "has SEND children".
2. Due to the extremely small sample size, respondents using more than 70 hours of childcare per week were considered outliers and excluded from analysis.


Section 4 - Hours per week spent in formal childcare by region

Filename: weekly_childcare_hours_region.csv
Geographic levels: National; Regional
Time period: 2026
Content summary: How many hours per week respondent's child was spending in formal childcare arrangements, by region.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name        |  Variable description
-------------------  |  ---------------------------------------
mean_weekly_hours    |  Mean hours of childcare used per week
median_weekly_hours  |  Median hours of childcare used per week

Footnotes:

1. Due to the extremely small sample size, respondents using more than 70 hours of childcare per week were considered outliers and excluded from analysis.


Section 4 - Satisfaction with number of hours offered by childcare provider

Filename: satisfaction_with_hours_offered.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Satisfaction with number of hours offered by childcare provider on a five-point scale.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                    |  Variable description
-------------------------------  |  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
demographic_group                |  Demographic group
percent                          |  Proportion of respondents
satisfaction_with_hours_offered  |  Satisfaction with the number of childcare hours offered by main provider


Section 4 - Satisfaction with opening hours of childcare provider

Filename: satisfaction_with_opening_hours.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Satisfaction with opening hours offered by childcare provider on a five-point scale.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                    |  Variable description
-------------------------------  |  ------------------------------------------------
demographic_group                |  Demographic group
percent                          |  Proportion of respondents
satisfaction_with_opening_hours  |  Satisfaction with opening hours of main provider

Footnotes:

1. Percentages shown as 0% may represent true values less than 0.5% that have been rounded down. For more precise figures, please download the table via the Export options link on the Table tab above.


Section 4 - Satisfaction with days per week offered by childcare provider

Filename: satisfaction_with_days_offered.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Satisfaction with number of hours offered by childcare provider on a five-point scale.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                   |  Variable description
------------------------------  |  --------------------------------------------------------
demographic_group               |  Demographic group
percent                         |  Proportion of respondents
satisfaction_with_days_offered  |  Satisfaction with days per week offered by main provider


Section 4 - Satisfaction with weeks per year offered by childcare provider

Filename: satisfaction_with_weeks_offered.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Satisfaction with weeks offered by childcare provider on a five-point scale.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                    |  Variable description
-------------------------------  |  ---------------------------------------------------------
demographic_group                |  Demographic group
percent                          |  Proportion of respondents
satisfaction_with_weeks_offered  |  Satisfaction with weeks per year offered by main provider

Footnotes:

1. Percentages shown as 0% may represent true values less than 0.5% that have been rounded down. For more precise figures, please download the table via the Export options link on the Table tab above.


Section 6 - Changes in working hours since respondents started claiming working families entitlements

Filename: change_in_work_hours.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: The value-change in working hours since the respondent began claiming the 30 hours of funded entitlement in September 2025.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name         |  Variable description
--------------------  |  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
change_in_work_hours  |  Change in working hours since respondent started claiming entitlements
demographic_group     |  Demographic group
percent               |  Proportion of respondents


Section 6 - Changes in working hours since respondents started claiming working families entitlements by region

Filename: change_in_work_hours_region.csv
Geographic levels: National; Regional
Time period: 2026
Content summary: The value-change in working hours since the respondent began claiming the 30 hours of funded entitlement in September 2025, by region.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name         |  Variable description
--------------------  |  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
change_in_work_hours  |  Change in working hours since respondent started claiming entitlements
percent               |  Proportion of respondents


Section 6 - Influence of the expansion to Early Years childcare entitlements on affording more childcare

Filename: influence_of_entitlement_on_affording_more_childcare.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: How influential the childcare expansion has been on the respondent being able to afford more childcare, on a five-point scale.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                               |  Variable description
------------------------------------------  |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
demographic_group                           |  Demographic group
main_reason_more_childcare_can_be_afforded  |  Influence of entitlements on respondent affording more childcare
percent                                     |  Proportion of respondents

Footnotes:

1. Percentages shown as 0% may represent true values less than 0.5% that have been rounded down. For more precise figures, please download the table via the Export options link on the Table tab above.


Section 6 - Increases in working hours since respondents started claiming working families entitlements

Filename: increase_in_work_hours.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Reasons for an increase in working hours since the respondent began claiming working families entitlements, by SEND.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name           |  Variable description
----------------------  |  ---------------------------------------------------------------
demographic_group       |  Demographic group
increase_in_work_hours  |  Increase in working hours since childcare entitlement expansion
percent                 |  Proportion of respondents

Footnotes:

1. Respondents were asked to indicate whether any children in their household have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). Those who answered "Yes" for any of their children, even if not the child the entitlements were claimed for, are labelled "has SEND children".
2. Percentages do not sum to 100, as respondents could select multiple options for this question.


Section 6 - Decreases in working hours since respondents started claiming working families entitlements

Filename: decrease_in_work_hours.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Reasons for a decrease in working hours since the respondent began claiming working families entitlements, by SEND.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name           |  Variable description
----------------------  |  ---------------------------------------------------------------
decrease_in_work_hours  |  Decrease in working hours since childcare entitlement expansion
demographic_group       |  Demographic group
percent                 |  Proportion of respondents

Footnotes:

1. Respondents were asked to indicate whether any children in their household have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). Those who answered "Yes" for any of their children, even if not the child the entitlements were claimed for, are labelled "has SEND children".
2. Percentages do not sum to 100, as respondents could select multiple options for this question.


Section 3 - What restrictions faced on usage of childcare hours

Filename: what_restrictions_on_hours.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: What restrictions were faced on the usage of childcare hours in formal childcare provision.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                |  Variable description
---------------------------  |  ------------------------------------------------------
percent                      |  Proportion of respondents
restrictions_on_using_hours  |  Provider restrictions on when funded hours can be used


Section 4 - Other support childcare usage

Filename: other_support_childcare_usage.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: What childcare arrangements were used by respondent for their child.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name      |  Variable description
-----------------  |  ------------------------------------
percent            |  Proportion of respondents
use_other_support  |  Whether uses other support childcare


Section 4 - Tax free childcare change in amount used

Filename: tax_free_childcare_change.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: The variation in the amount of tax free childcare claimed by respondents since they began claiming working families entitlement.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name          |  Variable description
---------------------  |  --------------------------------------------------
change_amount_tfc_use  |  Will change the amount of tax free childcare used?
percent                |  Proportion of respondents

Footnotes:

1. Percentages shown as 0% may represent true values less than 0.5% that have been rounded down. For more precise figures, please download the table via the Export options link on the Table tab above.


Section 2 - Reasons for not accessing the 30 hours funded working families childcare entitlement

Filename: reasons_not_used_entitlement.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Reasons for not accessing the working families entitlement.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                |  Variable description
---------------------------  |  -------------------------------------------
percent                      |  Proportion of respondents
reason_not_used_entitlement  |  Reason not used working parents entitlement

Footnotes:

1. Percentages do not sum to 100, as respondents could select multiple options for this question.


Section 5 - Additional extra charges paid to providers

Filename: extra_provider_charges.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Fixed and optional additional costs paid by respondents at their child's childcare provision(s).

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name  |  Variable description
------------  |  --------------------------------------------
charge_type   |  Whether charge must be paid to take up place
extra_charge  |  Additional charges from childcare provider
percent       |  Proportion of respondents

Footnotes:

1. Percentages do not sum to 100, as respondents could select multiple options for this question.
2. Fixed extra charges are charges that a provider required respondents to pay to take up a childcare place.


Section 4 - Childcare arrangements used

Filename: childcare_types_used.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Childcare types used by respondents.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name         |  Variable description
--------------------  |  ------------------------------
childcare_types_used  |  Types of childcare arrangement
demographic_group     |  Demographic group
percent               |  Proportion of respondents

Footnotes:

1. Percentages do not sum to 100, as respondents could select multiple options for this question.
2. Percentages shown as 0% may represent true values less than 0.5% that have been rounded down. For more precise figures, please download the table via the Export options link on the Table tab above.


Section 5 - Change in childcare costs since entitlements extended in September 2025

Filename: change_in_childcare_costs.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Change in childcare costs since the childcare entitlement was introduced in September 2025.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name              |  Variable description
-------------------------  |  ----------------------------------------------
change_in_childcare_costs  |  Change in childcare costs since September 2025
demographic_group          |  Demographic group
percent                    |  Proportion of respondents


Section 5 - Change in childcare costs since entitlements extended in September 2025 by region

Filename: change_in_childcare_costs_region.csv
Geographic levels: National; Regional
Time period: 2026
Content summary: Change in childcare costs since the childcare entitlement was introduced in September 2025, by region.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name              |  Variable description
-------------------------  |  ------------------------------------------
change_in_childcare_costs  |  Change in childcare costs since April 2024
percent                    |  Proportion of respondents
