One in three working dad and mom reduce hours as a result of ‘childcare disaster’

Nearly a third of working parents have had to reduce their hours due to the difficulty of securing appropriate childcare.

A poll of 3,000 working mums and dads highlights another third (31%) are seeking flexible work schedules to balance both work and their family

One in four (24%) depend on their partner or other family members, who have been compelled to cut back their working hours or even quit their job entirely. But despite this, 46% say they find it hard to maintain boundaries between their job and home life.

Jane van Zyl, CEO of the charity Working Families, which conducted the research in anticipation of National Work Life Week (7th-11th October), said: “Accessing affordable and reliable childcare has become a significant challenge for many families.”

“Numerous parents are struggling to balance work and family life due to limited availability, rising costs, and long waiting lists. It’s not just an inconvenience – it’s a barrier that impacts career opportunities, financial stability, and overall well-being.”

To deal with childcare problems, nearly three in 10 (28%) are adopting variable hours, 19% work remotely, and 15% work only during term-time.

Flexible working is a game-changer for mums and dads, helping them to juggle the kids (63%), have precious family time (46%), and even cut down on costs (45%). Yet a fifth of parents are stuck without flexi-working options, with transport and logistics workers being hit hardest (42%).

For parents working shifts, 27% only get the heads up on their work rota roughly a week in advance, making it significantly difficult to sort childcare arrangements.

Jane van Zyl weighed in: “Flexible working is not only a benefit-it’s a necessity for today’s parents who are juggling work and family life. By offering more adaptable work arrangements, we empower parents to be present for their children while continuing to thrive professionally.”

She added: “We’ll be keeping a keen eye on the forthcoming alterations to the Employment Bill expected this week to see how the Government plans to tackle the issues working parents are grappling with through more robust flexible working policies.”

Flexible working champion and Working Families ambassador Anna Whitehouse, who’s also known as Mother Pukka, has spoken out: “This is the reality for so many parents we’re trapped in a cycle where childcare is either unaffordable or unavailable, forcing families to make impossible choices.”

She added, “Parents are reducing their hours or missing out on job opportunities just to get by day-to-day. The system, as it currently stands, doesn’t work.”

Whitehouse further stressed, “If we genuinely want to support families, we need workplaces that enable parents to juggle the demands of work and childcare, without having to compromise their own wellbeing.”