What is the issue?
Increasing access to early childhood education and care (ECEC) is a global policy priority. This is evident in international policy initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which have set a 2030 target to ensure all children, especially the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, have access to quality early childhood education, including pre-primary schooling. Similarly, the G20 Initiative for Early Childhood Development (ECD) aims to promote access to quality early childhood education and development programs to support a foundation of lifelong learning (Richter et al., 2018). The G20 Initiative for ECD also highlights the need for government buy-in and financial investments during the early years to narrow achievement and opportunity gaps between children from different backgrounds.
Across the UK, the early years sector has seen an expansion in the number of free childcare hours available to parents of young children, with eligibility differing across the four nations but focused mainly on term-time childcare for working parents of two to four-year-olds, with additional eligibility for disadvantaged families. UK policymakers and practitioners have also been collaborating to examine the challenges disadvantaged families face in accessing childcare services and the potential facilitators and barriers they encounter to help inform this phased expansion of the Early Years Provision.
Low participation and poorer experiences in early childhood education and care ECEC among Black, Asian, and minority ethnic children and families have been recognised by the Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan, which highlights the importance of ECEC for child development, social integration, and parents' ability to work. There is a need for more clear and recent data to understand the scale and nature of the participation challenge faced by these ethnic minority children and families, and to identify the barriers and facilitators that policy can address. This evidence is crucial for informing the expansion of ECEC provision in the UK and supporting the delivery of the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan.
What do we want to know?
Although recent reviews have focused on the quality, outcomes, and the need to reduce disparities in ECEC, there is a gap in review-level evidence specifically addressing the experience and process of accessing ECEC by ethnic minority and disadvantaged families. Our systematic map of evidence (a systematic map of evidence provides an overview of existing research on a topic, it describes what research has been done and identifies gaps and areas for further study) indicated that there was sufficient primary research to answer the following review questions:
- What are the barriers and enablers to participating in ECEC among ethnic minority and disadvantaged children and families?
- What interventions have been tried to encourage participation in early years education and care among ethnic minority and disadvantaged children and families? How far are these interventions effective?
It should be noted that we expanded the scope of the review to include disadvantaged groups as initial scoping suggested there might be a lack of evidence on ethnic minority children and families and that data from a broader population group might provide relevant insights to policymakers. After exploring and describing the available research, we identified two significant gaps in the UK evidence base. Firstly, the lack of studies investigating Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic perspectives on access to childcare and secondly, the lack of disaggregation of data on Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities when evaluating interventions and policies aimed at increasing early years education and care uptake. Although we have taken steps to prioritise evidence from ethnic minority children and families, the findings of this review should be interpreted in light of these considerations.
How did we approach the evidence review?
This review was conducted in two stages. First, we generated a systematic map to identify a wide range of studies on access to childcare. Second, we used a framework synthesis approach to explore the barriers, enablers, and intervention approaches that impact the participation of ethnic minority and disadvantaged children in early years education and care. We included primary studies conducted in the UK and equivalent welfare systems that were published in English. The equivalent welfare systems identified were: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The primary studies considered had collected qualitative or quantitative data on the views, experiences, attitudes and perceptions of what would support uptake and evaluations of strategies and initiatives to increase uptake of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, immigrants, asylum seekers and disadvantaged groups. For this review, we defined disadvantaged groups as populations or communities that experience social, economic, or health disparities when compared to the broader population. To find relevant studies, we searched educational and social science databases and online resources. The search was structured around the three concepts that need to be present in each of the study citations: 1) ECEC Setting, 2) Topic (e.g. access to ECEC by BAME and disadvantaged groups) and 3) Geographical location. Each study was assessed for its methodological quality and relevance to our review questions. We then extracted descriptive data and narratively synthesised the findings. More detailed information about the methods can be found in the “Technical description of the rapid evidence review”, Part II of this document.
What did we find?
We found that while parents, across the UK, are aware of childcare entitlements, there are still gaps in understanding among certain groups, like ethnic minority and disadvantaged families. Misconceptions about who is eligible and confusion about the different types of entitlements can prevent these families from taking advantage of available services. Community and informal networks play a crucial role in spreading information, especially among disadvantaged families. Word-of-mouth is powerful, but it can leave out those who are not well-connected in their communities. There is a lack of centralised information systems and regional networks to reach ethnic minority and disadvantaged families effectively. Marketing and messaging strategies are essential for raising awareness about ECEC services. While general marketing campaigns help to inform the broader public, targeted campaigns with tailored messaging—such as multilingual materials, postcards, and vouchers—are more effective at reaching specific demographics. Home visits are particularly effective in engaging ethnic minority and disadvantaged families. These visits provide a culturally sensitive and accessible way to build trust, address individual needs, and offer personalised support. However, home visits are resource-intensive and may not be feasible to implement on a large scale. Financial constraints pose a significant challenge to delivering effective marketing and outreach efforts. Translating all materials into different languages can be expensive, and simpler alternatives, like providing contact numbers in various languages, might not be sufficient. Additionally, conducting home visits requires ongoing investment to maintain their positive impact.
In brief, while there is high general awareness of childcare entitlements, targeted efforts and investments are needed to address gaps in understanding and reach ethnic minority and disadvantaged families effectively. Building robust centralised information systems, enhancing targeted marketing strategies, and ensuring sufficient funding for translation and home visits are crucial steps toward increasing access to ECEC services for all families.
What are the implications?
Based on the global evidence about the barriers and enablers to participating in ECEC among ethnic minority and disadvantaged children and families, as well as UK interventions that might encourage participation, policymakers might consider the following:
For policy:
- Localised Outreach: Community events, workshops, and multilingual materials might help better inform ethnic minority and disadvantaged families about childcare benefits.
- Clear Communication: Simplifying childcare information with visuals and videos could help families understand their options. Simplifying the application process may also be beneficial.
- Support from Community Leaders: Community leaders, healthcare providers, and social workers could play a key role in sharing accurate information and assisting families with childcare applications. One-on-one support at accessible locations might be helpful.
- Employer and School Involvement: Employers and schools could share information about childcare benefits through seminars, newsletters, and meetings to reach more parents.
- Continuous Improvement: Regular feedback from surveys and focus groups could help improve communication and outreach efforts.
- Quality and Cultural Relevance: Ongoing training for childcare staff on teaching skills and cultural sensitivity, along with ensuring childcare facilities are safe, welcoming, and well-equipped, might address quality concerns.
- Cultural Brokers: Community liaisons might help build trust and facilitate communication between families and childcare staff. Partnerships with community organizations could promote childcare services effectively.
- Diverse Workforce: Recruiting and retaining a diverse childcare workforce, along with inclusive policies that respect cultural diversity, might make families feel more welcome.
- Flexible Hours: Offering flexible childcare hours could accommodate working parents’ schedules. Employment support services at childcare centres might help parents find stable jobs.
- Community Advisory Boards: Advisory boards with parents, childcare staff, and community leaders could ensure diverse voices are included in policy decisions.
- Language Support: Multilingual staff, language classes, translated materials, and interpretation services might support non-English speaking families.
- Expand Capacity: Expanding the number of childcare spots by increasing existing facilities and building new ones in underserved areas, along with consistent funding to improve service quality and staff training, could be effective. Regular monitoring and evaluation of programs might inform necessary adjustments.
For research:
- Understanding the unique childcare needs of diverse communities: We need to hear directly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities in the UK about their experiences with childcare. By understanding their specific challenges, we can create policies and practices that ensure fair access to early childhood education for everyone.
- Tracking progress on access for all children: It's important to regularly collect and analyse data about different ethnic groups' access to early childhood education and care. This helps us see what's working and what's not, allowing us to address any barriers specific communities may face.
- Clear communication is key: Targeted and culturally sensitive outreach can help clarify these entitlements, particularly for ethnic minority and disadvantaged families. By evaluating these efforts, we can refine our approach and ensure everyone knows the options available to them.
- Tapping into community networks: Informal community networks play a crucial role in sharing information about childcare services. We need to understand how these networks function across different communities and explore ways to collaborate with them to enhance our outreach and engagement efforts.
- Valuing family-based care: Many families from ethnic minority and disadvantaged backgrounds rely on extended family, especially grandparents, for childcare. Researching the role of these family networks and the quality of the home-learning environment they provide can help us better understand how formal childcare services can complement and support these existing arrangements.
- Long-term studies for lasting impact: We need comprehensive, long-term studies to assess how different policy interventions, such as funding entitlements and extended childcare hours, affect access to early childhood education and developmental outcomes for children from diverse backgrounds. These studies should consider regional and population differences to identify the most effective practices and any gaps in our policies.