Excerpts from the report:
Black and minority ethnic (BME) families in Britain face a number of disadvantages including higher rates of unemployment and an increased likelihood of living in low-income households. Childcare is a key factor in lifting families out of poverty and is particularly beneficial for children in disadvantaged groups. Increasing the use of childcare among BME families is crucial to the government's target of eliminating child poverty in Britain by 2020. High quality childcare and early years education can also benefit children by increasing their readiness for school and improving their educational, social and developmental outcomes generally.
This paper outlines the key findings from research (through focus groups and questionnaires) with BME families on their use of, views on, and needs for childcare. It also provides recommendations on how to increase the uptake of, and the appropriateness of, childcare for BME families in England today. As BME families who have recently arrived in England are at a particular risk of disadvantage, many of the parents consulted for this research are new migrants.