Research carried out by Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce has revealed the extent to which childcare problems are affecting families and the economy.

More than half of the employers who took part in the survey reported that childcare problems experienced by working parents are having a knock-on effect on business performance.

Chamber is now calling for ‘critical decisions’ to be made to help working parents and employers.

Just under 50% of parents who participated in the study said they were having difficulties finding a childcare place, and that figure increased to around two-thirds for parents who have children aged under three.

Chamber’s legislation group conducted the research on behalf of the Child Care Strategy Working Group (CSWG). The CSWG is a group comprising representatives of island childcare providers, Chamber’s legislative group, and cross-governmental representatives.

Information from the research is included in the recently published draft ‘Childcare Strategy’ document by the Department for Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) and Department for Enterprise (DfE). DESC and the DfE will now be entering into further consultation with all stakeholders, including nursery and childcare providers, with a view to bringing back a finalised Childcare Strategy to Tynwald in July.

Chamber president Kristan McDonald said: ‘The provision of good childcare is an important matter that warrants critical decisions to be made by government and the wider community, to address the issues raised in the research.

‘It’s also vital that there are no delays with the proposed timeline for the Childcare Strategy.’

Chamber’s legislation group began its surveys last year. Two were carried out into the current requirements, challenges and thoughts in respect of childcare on island. One focused on parents and those with childcare responsibility (and prompted 474 replies), while the other was aimed at employers and received feedback from 48 respondents.

The survey found that the highest barrier to using formal childcare was reported as cost, followed by a lack of availability of places:

l 71% of respondents said that if their employer operated a creche facility at or near their workplace they would use this facility, rising to 78% for the under two group.

Employers identified that a lack of available childcare had caused the following issues for their business:

l 29% reported that this had caused difficulties when hiring a staff member.

l 34% said that this had delayed a staff member from returning to work as scheduled after maternity/adoption/paternity leave and 8.51% said that the employee did not return.

l 56% said that this had prevented a staff member from either working the hours that they or the business would ideally like them to work, or from working in an area of the business that they or the employer would like them to work.

Forty per cent of employers provide an employer’s scheme to enhance statutory maternity / paternity/adoption leave and/or pay to their staff.

For employers who do not currently provide this, but would like to, the survey asked how government could incentivise this provision.

Answers included: providing financial support to businesses to help them to provide this; allowing shared parental leave so that employees can return more quickly to work, and increasing the availability of childcare places for children under two.

Employers also raised concerns around funding maternity pay, especially for small businesses, so requested financial assistance from the government in this area.

Employers were asked if they would be willing to provide a scheme which allows a portion of maternity/paternity/adoption leave to be shared with the employee’s partner/other parent: 41% said yes and a further 35% said that they didn’t know. Cost and complexity were cited as barriers to implementing this.

Employers were keen that legislation in this area enhance equality and fairness between parents and also requested clear guidance notes to aid the introduction of this in practice.

Mr McDonald said: ‘These surveys clearly show that the shortage and cost of childcare on the island is having a real impact on both families and the economy. The number of responses we received is among the largest we have ever seen for an Isle of Man Chamber survey.

‘That alone indicates the strength of feeling among working parents and employers, and their feedback will help to form future legislation and initiatives in this area.’

l The full results of the survey are at www.iomchamber.org.im.