Coram Family and Childcare

20/08/2026

Sharing books together can support early language, confidence and enjoyment of stories.

Books Together helps families with children aged 2 to 4 explore simple and fun ways to read together.

Watch the Books Together video:
https://youtu.be/9MSPV43D2fE

Find out more:
https://www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/books-together/

The Books Together programme supports families to discover the joy ...

19/08/2026

Across 36 schemes, more than 400 Parent Champions volunteers help over 100,000 families a year access support in their own communities.

Read more about the Parent Champions Awards 2026 winners:
https://www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/news/parent-champions-award-winners-2026/

19/08/2026

Books Together sessions return in September and October across Southwark, Lambeth, Redbridge, Hillingdon, Camden and Greenwich.

The programme helps families with children aged 2 to 4 enjoy books, stories and reading together.

Watch the Books Together video:
https://youtu.be/9MSPV43D2fE

Read more about the Parent Champions Awards 2026 winners:
https://www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/news/parent-champions-award-winners-2026/

The Books Together programme supports families to discover the joy ...

18/08/2026

Meet the Lewisham team, winners of the Parent Champions Scheme of the Year Award 2026.

The team meets families in Family Hubs, schools, libraries and foodbanks, helping parents understand what support is available and how to access it.

Read their story:
https://www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/news/parent-champions-awards-2026-lewisham-team-scheme-of-the-year/

18/08/2026

During the school summer holidays, many of our 445 Parent Champions will be signposting parents to information about local holiday clubs, childcare and family services.

Find your local Parent Champions scheme using our National Network map:
https://www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/parent-champions/

21/07/2026

We welcome Lucy Powell MP to her new role as Secretary of State for Education and look forward to working with her to improve the lives of children and families.

We also thank Bridget Phillipson MP for her work in government, including the expansion of funded childcare and the renewed focus on giving every child the best start in life.

There is still much to do to ensure all children can access high-quality early education, regardless of their family’s circumstances, and to address gaps in provision for children with SEND.

We look forward to working with the new Education Secretary to build an early years and childcare system that is affordable, accessible and inclusive for every family.

As the new government team takes forward its priorities, we look forward to continuing the conversation on making early education and childcare more affordable, accessible and inclusive for every family.

Read our latest Childcare Surveys: https://www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/research/research-area/childcare-survey/

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20/07/2026

Families need childcare that is affordable, accessible and available when they need it.

Our Holiday Childcare Survey 2026 sets out the cost and availability of holiday childcare across Great Britain, and shows why holiday childcare must be treated as a year-round requirement.

As Lydia Hodges, Head of Coram Family and Childcare, says: “The problem is not going to go away. Most parents need to work during the school holidays at some point, and not all will have support from other family members.”

“If we are to ease the annual summer stress for families, there must be an acknowledgement that childcare is a year-round requirement, and action taken to ensure holiday childcare does not remain the poor cousin of early years childcare.”

Read the full report: www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/research/holiday-childcare-survey-2026/

17/07/2026

Following the publication of our Holiday Childcare Survey 2026, Coram Family and Childcare is calling on governments to take action to ensure holiday childcare does not remain the poor cousin of early years childcare.

We are calling on governments to:

• Reinforce the statutory duty to secure sufficient holiday childcare, ensuring provision is properly understood and planned in England and Wales, and introduce a duty to monitor sufficiency for school-age holiday childcare in Scotland.
• Allow upfront payments of the childcare element of Universal Credit during school holidays.
• Encourage increased holiday childcare provision to improve parental choice and address gaps in availability.
• Extend the Experts at Hand inclusive practice training and coaching offer to holiday childcare providers, to improve access for children with additional needs.
• Support an increase in childminders so families have access to flexible holiday childcare.

Read the full report: www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/research/holiday-childcare-survey-2026/

17/07/2026

Our Holiday Childcare Survey 2026 finds that childminders offer parents the best chance of securing a full day of childcare during the holidays.

Across Great Britain, 79% of childminders are open 8am–6pm, compared to only 57% of holiday clubs.

Childminders were also found to be more likely than holiday clubs to be open during each of the school holidays.

Read the full report: www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/research/holiday-childcare-survey-2026/

17/07/2026

Our Holiday Childcare Survey 2026 looks at the availability of holiday childcare for children with additional needs and disabilities.

Where this information is known, the lowest sufficiency level is for children with additional needs.

Only 9% of LAs in England were able to say they have enough holiday childcare for at least three-quarters of children and young people with additional needs in their area.

Only 5% of LAs in Wales report sufficient holiday childcare for at least three-quarters of children and young people with additional needs.

Read the full report: www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/research/holiday-childcare-survey-2026/