Torbay Childcare Sufficiency Assessment - Torbay Council

7.0
CHILDCARE DEMAND
To establish sufficiency, an assessment must be undertaken
of the demand for childcare by parents that will enable
them to remain in, return to, or enter into work. There are
two ways in which this assessment can establish the level of
demand for childcare.
Firstly, an indication of demand can be made by considering
the level of occupancy and vacancies in settings, by type
and by area. Where there is a low level of occupancy, there
could be low demand for places. Alternatively, providers
who have higher levels of occupancy, especially those with
less than 20% spare capacity, might find it difficult to take
on any more children. Within an open market, this could
indicate high demand, some unmet demand and / or
sufficient provision.
Secondly, consultation conducted with parents, employers,
children and even providers themselves gives us an insight
into the demand for childcare. This also highlights any
issues and perceptions that impact on demand for childcare
and which will be considered in the gap analysis.
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