A society that cares

“Childcare and early education are a key part of our national infrastructure: they enable parents to work and boost children’s outcomes, getting them ready to learn at school and beyond. Pressures on the childcare sector mean that more families are at risk of not being able to find the childcare that they rely on. We urge the Government to make sure that childcare and children’s life chances are at the very heart of their plans to support families.”

Megan Jarvie (right), Head of Coram Family and Childcare

Convening discourse

Coram was amongst the organisations invited to give evidence to the Archbishops’ Commission on Families and Households. The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, paid tribute to the eternal values and commitment of the organisation as he introduced the final report, Love Matters, at Coram in April 2023.

We were also proud to host the results of work by children and young people with Children England to examine the drivers needed to create a ChildFair State

In the coming year we will host the launch of Raising the Nation by Paul Lindley, and launch a new annual lecture on Love and Attachment

Informing national policy

The cost of living crisis has impacted on families nationwide over the last 12 months, and Coram contributed to the sector-wide calls for the government to step up measures to support the most vulnerable children and young people.

Our cost of living statement called for both an uplift in Universal Credit and for current benefit levels to rise in line with inflation, free school meals for all primary school children, and comprehensive reform to the failing childcare system to deliver affordable, high-quality childcare for all.

Coram made responses to the consultations of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, the SEND Review, submitted a witness statement to the Covid-19 Inquiry in exploring the state of readiness for the pandemic, and has briefed and made submissions in relation to the Illegal Migration Bill.

Looking to the future

For more than two decades, Hempsall’s has worked to develop and build capacity across childcare and the early years sector. It is to take this impact to new level in the coming year that the organisation is joining the Coram Group.

Calling for affordable childcare

In publishing its Childcare Survey 2023, Coram Family and Childcare set the agenda for a nationwide debate on the state of the nation’s childcare in the week leading up to the Budget and the Chancellor’s announcement of reforms to the system.

CFC’s survey set out a stark picture, revealing a sharp drop in childcare availability across England over the past year, with only half of local areas reporting sufficient childcare for children under two, a decrease of 7% on 2022, and under half (48%) reporting enough childcare for parents working full-time, a decrease of 11% on last year.

There was widespread national media coverage – including as the top story on BBC News – and CFC’s work informed parliamentary debate and policy development.

Particular thanks go to all those providers and local authorities who contributed to the research and to Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and other grant funders for making it possible.

Investors in People

Coram Group was proud to be awarded the Investors in People Gold Award.

Antoinette’s story

Antoinette (on the right) is a family support worker and mum to a little girl aged three and a 17 year old son with autism. She currently works 21 hours a week and feels that the cost of childcare locks her out of full-time work. She knows that losing out on entitlements has a particularly negative impact on children’s school readiness and widens the attainment gap, so she is one of 299 people volunteering locally in 43 local authorities as a Parent Champion, doing outreach work to promote the take up of the two-year-old free early education entitlements for disadvantaged families.