A 30% DECLINE in births within the last decade is impacting demand for childcare and early education places – and has implications for future capacity in primary schools, according to a new research report.
Published this week, the Policy Centre Jersey’s new report on the Island’s early-years provision reported a decline in births of almost 30% since 2016.
“There has been a sharp decline in births in Jersey in recent years,” it said. “This directly reduces demand for early years provision and creates surplus capacity in primary schools.”
The report suggested that falling pupil numbers could be addressed by repurposing surplus primary school space for younger children.
However, it warned that there are “obstacles” to this, including the need to adapt buildings that are designed for four-year-olds to meet the different requirements of three-year-olds.
It also highlighted difficulties in recruiting sufficient staff for this younger age group, with previous recruitment campaigns proving largely unsuccessful.
The Policy Centre Jersey also found that average childcare costs in Jersey are around 50% above those in England and about 12% above London levels.
High childcare costs were described as a “major barrier” for many parents in the Island.
“Reducing these costs can significantly increase female labour-force participation, yielding several economic benefits,” the report said.
The Policy Centre Jersey concluded that the overall capacity in early years provision is “sufficient” but that affordability, rather than availability, is the central challenge for local families.
“Workforce pressures, driven by recruitment and retention challenges, increasing regulatory requirements and the high cost of living, threaten the sustainability of provision,” the report said.
It recommended a wide-ranging package of reforms, including strengthening and urgently expanding the early-years workforce, increasing provider capacity, and expanding the scheme which offers of funded nursery hours for preschool children.
The report also called for greater flexibility in provision, for all employers in Jersey to adopt more family-friendly working practices, and for shortages of specialist staff to be tackled through an “urgent workforce strategy”.
