East Mids parents' access to childcare less than in London

THERE is a two-hour regional gap in access to childcare for families, according to new watchdog figures, as councils are set to lead on bidding for cash to build new nurseries for the first time.

- 

Ofsted found parents in the East Midlands could, on average, access 11.5 hours of childcare per child a week as of the end of August 2025, nearly an hour-and-a-half less than the 13.1 hours accessible to parents in London.