Our Kids in the North: how Northern working parents are being priced out of childcare

The North in Numbers takes over The Northern Agenda: Our Kids in the North for this episode, looking at the human stories behind the stats.

Annie Gouk, Data Investigations Editor at Reach and host of our sister podcast, explores the data on the rising cost and lack of availability of childcare, and what this means both for working parents, and for kids when it comes to being ready for school. 

She speaks to:

⬆️ Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of Liverpool City Region, on the masterplan to tackle staff shortages in Early Years education and childcare in the area.

⬆️ Lydia Hodges. head of Coram Family and Childcare, on the charity's survey charting the cost of a part time nursery place for a child under the age of two in the North

⬆️ Fiona Spellman, the CEO of SHINE, a charity covering the north of England that was set up to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds to perform better in their education, on the growing number of children starting reception not “school ready”

⬆️ Mothers Tui Benjamin Thorp and Katie Jones on trying to juggle work with childcare, especially with the soaring costs

The Northern Agenda: Our Kids in the North is a Reach Studio production, presented by Rob Parsons with contributions from Annie Gouk. The podcast is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin.

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