Early Years and Childcare Provision in Northstowe

Cambridgeshire County Council recently surveyed the community in Northstowe about the childcare they use and what they would like to see in the future. We wanted to know how many children were in your households, how you currently used childcare in Northstowe and what you hoped the future provision of childcare in Northstowe may look like. We were particularly interested to see if term time or full year round provision best suited your needs and the local demand. 

The majority of respondents (60%) were from families with one child under the age of four, with this child most likely to be aged 1 or under. Currently, all year round, full day care was the most popular Early Years childcare option, used by 72% of respondents. Looking ahead, families told us they wanted to see more choice in Northstowe. All year round, full day care remained the top preference, but there is also strong interest in childminders. Of all respondents, only one family currently regularly uses a childminder, yet 14 said they would like this option available in the future. Parents also mentioned they would like more flexible hours and greater availability of  holiday clubs.

We have met with providers of Early Years services in Northstowe to discuss the outcomes of your responses and how they can best shape their provisions to meet your needs. We will continue to monitor local demand and forward plan to meet the needs of this growing community. In the meantime, we encourage parents to reach out to local providers to discuss your individual childcare needs. For further information about your local childcare providers, please contact the Families Information Service via Tel: 0345 045 1360 or Email: fis@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.