The government should extend funded childcare to migrant and refugee families, according to a report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

Every Child is Equal, written in conjunction with the human rights organisation Praxis, recommends that the government removes immigration status-based restrictions on eligibility for the extended entitlement to childcare.

Having “no recourse to public funds” (NRPF), a condition imposed upon almost all migrants in the UK who have not yet attained indefinite leave to remain, means parents are not entitled to 30 hours of funded childcare.  

The analysis reveals 71,000 families with children aged one to four where both parents work or, in single-parent households, the parent is employed would qualify for 30 hours of free childcare per week, if not for NRPF restrictions.

IPPR and Praxis surveyed 159 parents with experience of NRPF restrictions and at least one child below school age, and found that their ability to work, their household finances and their child’s development were all negatively affected.

The survey found:

• Only 55% use some sort of childcare, compared to 72% of the general population
• Over a third (36%) of those using childcare use unofficial free childcare, such as former spouses, relatives and friends, which lacks the early education provision provided by professionals
• One in five (21%) of parents paying for childcare out of their own pocket struggle to make ends meet because of the high costs
• Almost half (41%) of those who don’t use childcare  say the lack of a free entitlement has stopped them or their partner from getting a job
• Half of parents say their children are missing out on opportunities, such as social interactions and the chance to learn English.

The report says that children of migrant parents already face a higher than average risk of poverty, and unequal access to early education and childcare can exacerbate their disadvantage. The researchers found a single parent with NRPF working part-time on a low income is £2,600 per year  worse off than someone in the same position but with access to the extended childcare entitlement.  

Dr Lucy Mort, senior research fellow at IPPR, said: “No child should be denied the chance to learn and thrive because of their parents’ immigration status. Restricting access to childcare forces parents out of work, pushes families deeper into poverty, and holds children back from vital early education. Lifting these unfair barriers would not only support working parents but also give every child the best start in life.”

Josephine Whitaker-Yilmaz, policy and public affairs manager at Praxis, said: “If this government is serious about ensuring that more children are ready for school, lifting these restrictions on support with childcare costs is a common-sense solution that will benefit some of the most disadvantaged children in our communities.”