Education Minister Paul Givan has welcomed the publication of the first official statistics from the Northern Ireland Childcare Survey 2024, hailing it as a crucial step towards developing evidence-based policy.

The survey, conducted by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) and commissioned by the Department of Education in 2024, is the first of its kind in the region, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of childcare usage and costs among households.

"I made a commitment to improve the evidence base on childcare usage and costs when I took up post," Minister Givan said. "It is essential that we have reliable and comprehensive data in order to develop evidence-based policy. I therefore welcome the publication of the results which have the authority of Official Statistics." The 2024 survey found that 62% of children aged 0-4 were using some form of childcare, with 43% utilising paid childcare services. On average, children in this age group who are in paid childcare use it for 20 hours per week. Grandparents or other relatives were the most common source of childcare overall, relied upon by 32% of households. The top five most used types of provision also included after-school and breakfast clubs, registered childminders, and day nurseries.

Regarding costs, the survey revealed that for children using paid childcare, the median monthly payment was £225. This figure rose to £630 for children using more intensive provision of 31-40 hours per week. A large majority of households (86%) reported that the quality of their childcare was good.

The Minister stated that the findings will be closely examined in the coming weeks to inform the development of the Early Learning and Childcare Strategy, which he intends to bring to the Executive in the autumn.

"The survey findings provide a valuable picture of childcare usage across the whole population which has not previously been available," Mr Givan concluded. "I plan to engage directly with stakeholders on the findings, later in the month."