New survey sheds light on early years and childcare workforce

Our first survey of the early years and childcare workforce in Wales gives a clearer picture of the people working in the sector, what motivates them, and the challenges they face.

More than 900 people in a variety of roles took part in the survey between October and December 2025, representing around 6.1 per cent of the workforce*.

The results confirm many of the issues we already knew about, including challenges around recruitment, diversity, terms and conditions, and career progression opportunities.

Smiling early years and childcare worker playing with young child

The survey reveals a workforce that’s mainly female, white and aged between 35 and 49. Most can speak some Welsh, with only 18.2 per cent saying they can’t speak any Welsh.

The workforce appears to be motivated by purpose rather than pay. Around a third (30.9 per cent) said they started working in early years and childcare because they wanted to make a difference, while 30.4 per cent said they wanted a job that would suit their skills or they would be good at. Only 2.9 per cent said they joined the sector because they thought it would be a stable or secure job with good career prospects.

While 93.5 per cent said they have the right training to do their job, there are concerns about unclear or limited career progression pathways. Some 34.7 per cent said they would like to move into a leadership role in the future, but more than a third faced barriers to training, such as lack of time, staff shortages and cost.

A little over half (53.8 per cent) were satisfied with their terms and conditions, such as pay, working hours and policies, but there are ongoing pressures around recruitment and workforce growth. Almost a third (31.5 per cent) are thinking of leaving the sector because of factors such as low pay, a high workload, lack of recognition, limited opportunities for progression and staff shortages.

These findings provide a useful starting point to better understand the early years and childcare workforce in Wales. We’ll continue to work with national and regional partners to influence, support, and shape solutions to these challenges, wherever possible.

Some of the actions we’re taking include:

starting our coordinated outreach activity to promote childcare careers to men
establishing leadership and management forums for shared learning and support
updating the early years career pathway
expanding work trials through our Pathways to Childcare programme.

Sarah McCarty, our Chief Executive, said:

“Thank you to everyone who took part in our first survey of the early years and childcare workforce in Wales. Your responses have given us invaluable insight into what it’s like to work in the sector.

“We’re fortunate to have a values-driven workforce, with people motivated by making a difference. The findings also highlight strong confidence in skills and training, alongside a clear ambition to progress into leadership roles.

“However, the sector is facing challenges, and we’re committed to working with partners to provide the support needed to address these. Over the coming year, our plans include targeted outreach programmes, engagement events, and opportunities for learning and support. We’ll also continue to focus on career pathways and expand our work trials programme.

“We’ll be running our next annual survey in the autumn, and I would encourage as many people as possible to take part. Your voice plays an important role in shaping how we and our partners support the sector.”

*This figure is calculated by using the 15,437 staff reported as working in the sector in the Self-Assessment of Service Statements returned to Care Inspectorate Wales in 2025.

Read the highlight report

You can find out more about the survey results and our next steps to support the workforce in our highlight report.