Coram Family and Childcare

07/10/2026

Looking for new ways to bring stories to life? Family Corner’s free online session Discover your storytelling spark takes place tomorrow, 8 October, at 10am UK time, as part of the Early Years Alliance's Family Festival.

Sign up for practical storytelling ideas. Registered families will receive the session recording and festival resource pack.

Book through Family Corner:
https://www.familycorner.co.uk/family-learning-events/family-connect/

06/10/2026

25 years of the Childcare Survey: what has changed for families?

Our Childcare Survey 2026 marks 25 years since Coram Family and Childcare began tracking childcare costs and availability across Great Britain.

Over that period, childcare costs for children under two in England rose faster than inflation, with the cost of a part-time nursery place almost tripling between 2001 and 2024. More recently, expanded funded entitlements have brought costs down significantly for eligible working families in England — but the picture remains uneven. Families who do not qualify for the expanded entitlement continue to face higher costs, while access remains particularly challenging for children with SEND and families needing childcare outside standard hours.

Drawing on a quarter-century of evidence, the 2026 survey looks at what has changed, where progress has been made, and where families are still being left behind.

Explore the findings and download the full report:
https://www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/research/childcare-survey-2026/

In our Childcare Survey 2026, we look back over 25 years of data collection on the cost of childcare since the first survey in 2001.

05/10/2026

Early Years Alliance's free online Family Festival, Home is where the start is, begins today and runs until 29 October.

Explore playful ways to support your child’s learning at home. Register for a session to receive its recording and a resource pack, even if you cannot attend live.

Choose your sessions:
https://www.familycorner.co.uk/family-learning-events/home-is-where-the-start-is/

04/10/2026

Books Together continues this October!📚

Designed for families with young children aged two to five, Books Together uses fun, interactive sessions to help parents and children discover the joy of reading together.

Across three sessions, families can enjoy activities together while parents pick up practical tips, resources and ideas for making books and stories part of everyday life at home.

October sessions are taking place at:

• Redbridge: Albert Road Children’s Centre — 8 & 15 October
• Hillingdon: Yeading Library — 6, 13 & 20 October
• Camden: Regent’s Park Children’s Centre — 8, 15 & 22 October
• Greenwich: Mulberry Park Children’s Centre — 9, 16 & 23 October

Please check times, eligibility and booking arrangements directly with the venue before attending.

Find out about Books Together: https://www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/books-together/

You can watch Books Together video here: https://youtu.be/9MSPV43D2fE

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

03/10/2026

Finding childcare that works for your family can involve a lot of questions.

Where should you start looking? What should you consider when choosing a childcare provider? And what help might be available with the cost?

Coram Family and Childcare has brought together practical resources to help parents explore their options, including information on finding childcare locally, our five steps to choosing childcare, guidance on childcare costs, and stories and advice from families of children with SEND.

The resources can help you think through what matters to you and your child, what to look for when visiting a setting, and where to find further information and support.

Explore our resources for parents:
https://www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/resources-parents/

02/10/2026

Parent Champions are parent volunteers who share trusted information about childcare, early years and local family services in their communities.

These conversations can help families discover support, use local services and have a say in how those services develop.

Find your local scheme and learn more:
https://www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/parent-champions/

30/09/2026

Books Together sessions are planned at Regent’s Park Children’s Centre in Camden on 8, 15 and 22 October, and Mulberry Children’s Centre in Greenwich on 9, 16 and 23 October.

Families with young children can explore playful ways to enjoy books together. Contact the local venue to check eligibility, availability and booking.

Explore Books Together:

Discover the joy of reading with your child through the Books Together programme – a series of fun, interactive sessions offering tips, resources, and ideas to help families read together regularly.

29/09/2026

Finding out what funded childcare is available — and how to access it — is not always straightforward.

Parent Champions for Early Education and Childcare are parent volunteers who help eligible families understand the childcare available to them, access local provision and find further support.

Having used funded childcare themselves, Parent Champions can share their experience in a trusted, informal and relatable way, reaching families who may be less likely to engage with services. They meet parents in familiar community settings, from schools and children’s centres to libraries and GP surgeries.

The programme can help increase access to funded early education, improve parents’ understanding of their options and strengthen connections between families and local services.

Could a Parent Champions scheme support families in your community?

Find out more:
https://www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/parent-champions/early-education-and-childcare/

27/09/2026

The final Books Together session in this Lambeth series is on Tuesday 29 September at St Stephen’s Children’s Centre. Families with young children can explore enjoyable ways to share books and stories.

Please contact the centre to confirm whether places or late joins are available before attending.

About Books Together:

Discover the joy of reading with your child through the Books Together programme – a series of fun, interactive sessions offering tips, resources, and ideas to help families read together regularly.

27/09/2026

Smartphones and other digital devices are now a routine part of family life. They can help us connect, organise and access information, but they can also interrupt the moments we share with the people around us.

So what does that mean for parents and young children?

Parenting in the Digital Age is a new research project exploring how parents and primary caregivers of babies and children aged five and under use digital devices while caring for their children.

The research will look at parents’ own experiences: why and how they use digital devices, what they see as the benefits and challenges, whether there are aspects of their use they would like to change, and what strategies they find helpful for reducing interruptions.

Importantly, parents are at the heart of the research. Peer researchers who are themselves parents or carers of young children are helping to shape and deliver the study — from its design and data collection through to analysis and recommendations.

The project is being delivered by the Coram Institute for Children and Coram Family and Childcare, commissioned and funded by the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.

Find out more about the research:
https://www.coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk/research/parenting-in-the-digital-age/