Northstowe : New town with no childminders launches campaign

Cambridgeshire county councillor, Firouz Thompson, said there had been a 17% drop in the number of childminders in the county since 2019

A campaign to encourage more people to work in early years settings in one of the UK's newest towns is under way.

Northstowe in Cambridgeshire currently has no registered childminders and just one pre-school.

In a town full of young families, it is proving challenging for some to find childcare.

County councillor, Firouz Thompson, said there had been a 17% drop in the number of childminders in the county since 2019.

Liberal Democrat, Ms Thompson, who is leading the recruitment campaign, said: "It's been difficult to recruit childminders, they've been declining from 2019 in the county and nationally."

She has been campaigning to end restrictive covenants imposed by some housebuilders on new build properties, which prevent people from running businesses, including childcare, from their home.

Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District councils have signed up to the campaign. Both areas will see thousands of new homes built in the coming years.

Graham Arnold, from Cambridgeshire County Council's early years and childcare department, said work was under way to bring in more provision in the town

Parents have told the BBC they currently have to travel outside of the town to access childcare.

One mother, who did not want to be named, said she had to travel by bus into Cambridge to take her three-year-old daughter to a pre-school.

"I can't find any work because by the time I get back, it's time to pick her up," she said.

Another parent said she used a childminder in nearby Longstanton because the local pre-school only opens at 09:00 GMT and she needed to be at work at Addenbrooke's before then.

Sally Gedny runs Buttercups Childcare in nearby Bar Hill and has a number of children from Northstowe in her setting.

She said there was a wider recruitment problem in the early years sector.

"It's getting harder and harder to attract candidates, let alone good ones," she said.

"Even 10 years ago you would advertise and get 10 or 12 people apply."

Graham Arnold, from the county council's early years and childcare department, said work was under way to improve the provision in the town.

"There's a survey going on at the moment about a future provision to work out what that should be doing but also to encourage them to think about the benefits and the exciting opportunities there are to work in childcare," he said.

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