New Ofsted figures show a major drop in the number of childcare places since March 2022, described by early years organisations as ‘alarming’ and a ‘wake-up call for Government’.
The number of childcare providers and places has fallen by thousands in one year, the latest data on childcare providers and inspections as at 31 March 2023 has revealed.
As of 31 March 2023, 63,200 childcare and early years providers were registered with Ofsted, down by 4,800 (7 per cent) since March 2022.
In the same period, 27,900 childminders were registered with Ofsted, down by 3,500 (11 per cent) on the previous year.
