FCSS offers a flexible childcare model meaning that parents can book by the hour, change their bookings each week and only pay for the childcare they actually use.

In some areas, thanks to strong partnerships with the Local Authority, families’ funded hours can also be used flexibly, maximising the benefit and saving them even more money.

However, this is a huge contrast to the standard model of booking set blocks of time, which can be expensive and doesn’t always meet the needs of families. Indeed, 59% of parents would change to a flexible provider if there were options nearby.

One parent said, “If it was affordable to put them in to childcare I would work more but I’m not using the extra I earn just so someone else can raise my kids.”

Another said: “It is a sacrifice to our household income to have childcare in order to work full time and I do not have support from other family members.”