How persistent are issues with access to affordable childcare?

This is the second in a series of five reports that together use the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal survey data to explore how the inability to access affordable childcare affects the long run labour market outcomes of mothers. This report investigates the persistence of mothers’ difficulties accessing affordable childcare. It shows 20% of issues with access to childcare at 9 months are clearly unresolved at 2 years, 37% may be unresolved (indicated by a child not in childcare where the main reason is parental preferences), and only 43% are clearly resolved (indicated by the child being in childcare). Māori and Pasifika face modestly more persistent issues than Europeans, which, when combined with their higher rates of access issues at 9 months, make them 3 to 4 times as likely to experience long term access issues. In general, the results show more disadvantaged mothers, who were found in the first report to have higher rates of issues with access to childcare, also have more persistent issues with access to childcare. This is particularly true for mothers from low-income households.

Citation

Isabelle Sin. 2022. How persistent are issues with access to affordable childcare? Motu Note 47