Research by Coram Family and Childcare

Effective hybrid work and childcare

Hybrid work has increased amongst parents since the pandemic – but are all families experiencing positive effects for work-family balance, health and wellbeing?

What are the patterns of hybrid work and childcare arrangements for families? How have they changed over time?
Which patterns of hybrid work and childcare are more “effective” in improving work-life balance, health and wellbeing for both mothers and fathers, in different circumstances?

These are some of the questions that our new comprehensive research programme will explore. Funded by the Nuffield Foundation the Hybrid work and childcare research programme is led by Dr Naomi Finch of the University of York, with Professor Katharina Bader in collaboration with charities Coram Family and Childcare and Working Families, and research consultant Ivana La Valle.

Insights into wraparound childcare

Insights into wraparound childcare, commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA), explores the views of key stakeholders, including parents, sector experts and local authorities, on current provision of wraparound childcare (before and after school childcare). The research follows the announcement in the Spring Budget in March 2023 of an investment of £289 million over two years from September 2024 to enable local authorities to support the expansion of wraparound childcare for all primary school aged children.

Tackling disadvantage through childcare

Childcare holds the power to tackle disadvantage by enabling parents to work and boosting children’s outcomes. But this opportunity is being missed and new government investment risks entrenching rather than changing an unequal system. We outline our proposal for a new childcare system that better meets families’ needs, particularly those facing disadvantage.

Childcare Survey 2023 event

Coram Family and Childcare ran an online event to discuss the findings of the Childcare Survey 2023 with a focus on access for disabled children and the risk and opportunities in the childcare announcements from the Spring Budget.

Covid & Childcare: the role of local authorities

This report focuses on the role played by local authorities (LAs) in supporting parents and childcare providers during the pandemic, the impacts of Covid on local childcare, and how the pandemic experience may permanently change the LA role in the sector.

Fathers Consultation with Small Steps Big Changes

Coram Family and Childcare were commissioned by Small Steps Big Changes to consult with local fathers about their wants, needs and experiences of local family services. Small Steps Big Changes is a 10 year programme funded by the National Lottery Community Fund’s A Better Start programme, working to improve outcomes for young children in four wards in Nottingham. One of their priorities is embedding father inclusive practice.

Loneliness among parents of young children

Coram Family and Childcare are running a project, funded by the National Lottery Reaching Communities programme, which will support eight groups of local parents to work together to combat loneliness while their children are young. To guide their work, we conducted research on how parents with children under five experience loneliness, and what would help them to overcome it.

What influences mothers’ decisions about working after having a baby?

We know that employment rates of mothers in the UK are much lower than those of fathers or women without dependent children. For some women, this difference is down to personal choice, but difficulties in finding affordable childcare or making work pay may also be affecting the decisions women make about returning to work.

School age childcare in London

Coram Family and Childcare's report School age childcare in London covers the results of a major new study exploring the often overlooked market for childcare for children aged five and over. There are more than a million children aged 5 to 15 in London for whom childcare can provide a space to play, learn and socialise, and whose parents are likely to rely on childcare to be able to work.

Holding on or moving up? Supporting carers and parents in employment

There are nine million working parents in the UK, and two million balancing paid work with caring for an adult. Adjustments to working arrangements – for example, changing working hours or taking temporary leave from work – can prevent this group from dropping out of employment altogether.