Early years and childcare workforce survey 2025: highlight report

This report outlines the main findings of the 2025 Social Care Wales early years and childcare workforce survey (the survey).

The survey was led by our early years and childcare team with support from our research team and Welsh Government’s Equality, Poverty and Children’s Evidence and Support Division.

The survey had a mix of open and closed questions. We asked several open-ended follow-up questions, including ones about recruitment and retention, to find out what people enjoy about working in early years and childcare and what they think should be done to make the sector a more attractive and rewarding place to work. 

View the full list of questions.

The survey was open from 6 October to 1 December 2025. The engagement and communication plan targeted everyone working in early years and childcare in Wales, as well as employers, partner organisations and local authorities. We promoted the survey through our website, social media, newsletters and targeted email messaging.  

We found that:

• most people who took part in the survey were female. 98 per cent identified as female and 1.7 per cent identified as male. 
• 97 per cent described their ethnic background as ‘White’ 
• the most common age group was between 40 and 44 years old (15.9 per cent), followed by 45 to 49 (14.3 per cent) and 35 to 39 (14.1 per cent) 
• the three least common age groups were 25 to 29 (6.3 per cent), 60 to 64 (6.1 per cent) and aged 65+ (2.4 per cent)  
• 10.2 per cent said that they considered themselves to be neurodivergent 
• three per cent said that they considered themselves to be disabled
• 49.6 per cent said they could speak entry level Welsh, 10 per cent described their ability as foundation level, 5.1 per cent as intermediate, 7.9 per cent as higher and 9.2 per cent as proficient  
• 18.2 per cent of respondents said that they couldn’t speak any Welsh. 

We asked respondents how they initially found out about working in early years and childcare. Respondents were able to select as many options as they liked from a range of answers. The most frequently selected response was through friends and family working in the sector, selected by 34.9 per cent of respondents.

Almost a third (31.5 per cent) said they’re thinking about leaving the sector. Some of the reasons given include:

• low pay
• high workload
• lack of recognition
• more staffing support needed/not enough staff
• limited opportunities for progression.

Some also suggested there’s a need to reduce administrative pressure and paperwork.

Most (93.5 per cent) either strongly agreed or agreed that they had the right training and/or qualifications to do their job well.

34.7 per cent either strongly agreed or agreed they would like to move into a leadership role in the future.

We asked people what initially let them to working in early years and childcare.

We found that:

• 30.9 per cent said they wanted a job that would make a difference 
• 30.4 per cent said they wanted work that would suit their skills / they would be good at
• 13.8 per cent said they felt the work pattern suited their lifestyle 
• 9.5 per cent said they felt they would enjoy it
• 4.6 per cent said it was because they were looking for a change in career
• just 2.9 per cent  said that it was their perception that it would be a stable or secure job with good career prospects that led them to join the sector.

We also asked people if they felt they had enough time to do their job well and 51.0 per cent strongly agreed or tended to agree with this statement.

Bullying, harassment or discrimination

We asked people whether they had experienced bullying, harassment or discrimination at work in the past 12 months.

We found that:

• 4.4 per cent reported experiencing bullying 
• 2.3 per cent said they’d experienced harassment 
• 2.5 per cent said they’d experienced discrimination.

Everyone who said they’d experienced discrimination said that they or a colleague had reported it. Only around half of those who said they’d experienced harassment and/or discrimination said that either they or a colleague had reported it.

Terms and conditions

We asked people to what extent they were satisfied with the terms and conditions of their employment, such as pay, hours of work or policies. Around half (53.8 per cent) said that they were either fairly satisfied or very satisfied. Access to employment benefits varies significantly by role, particularly because some groups are more likely to self-employed.

The results of this survey give a useful starting point to gain a deeper understanding of the early years and childcare workforce in Wales. We hope this pilot survey will be repeated annually to help us identify trends and areas of strength and weakness. 

What we’ll do

We’ll strengthen our coordinated outreach activity to promote childcare careers to men. This includes working with Cwlwm, Careers Wales, training providers, local authorities, community partners and our WeCare Wales colleagues to reach men in schools, colleges, community forums, regional events. By working with partner organisations, we aim to shift perceptions and broaden participation in a sustainable and meaningful way.

Professionalism, and terms and conditions

The survey sets out real concerns about professionalism, status, and terms and conditions in early years and childcare. Improving these areas is essential to delivering high quality provision, retaining skilled workers, promoting equality and enabling economic participation. 

What we’ll do

Without a well supported workforce, ambitions for children and families can’t be achieved. This is an area led by social partnership, and we’ll make sure we share the results of this survey with others through our participation in the Welsh Government Strategic Group and the Fair Work Forum. 

We’ll also establish leadership and management forums that provide structured spaces for shared learning, peer support, and exploration of challenges. These forums will focus on key issues identified in the survey, including terms and conditions, helping leaders to share effective approaches, understand barriers, and guide wider workforce priorities.

Career progression pathways

The survey also raises concerns about unclear or limited progression pathways. We know that clear progression opportunities are essential to retaining skilled staff, improving quality, developing leadership and professionalising the workforce. Visible career pathways strengthen morale, support equality and make sure the sector has the capacity to meet rising expectations and future demand. 

What we’ll do

We’ll produce and share an updated early years career pathway, outlining the range of routes and roles from entry level to leadership. We’ll also review the approaches taken in the other UK nations. We’ll work together with our WeCare Wales colleagues and Careers Wales so there’s consistent messaging and accessible information for both the current and future workforce.

Recruitment challenges

Finally, the survey revealed pressures around workforce growth and recruitment. The ability to recruit new workers is fundamental to the capacity, quality and sustainability of early years and childcare. Without a steady pipeline of new entrants, provision can’t be maintained or expanded. 

What we’ll do

We’ll expand the use of work trials through the Pathways to Childcare programme, allowing more people to gain firsthand experience of the sector. We’ll continue working closely with employers to make sure the continuing professional development (CPD) we offer practitioners and managers remains relevant, accessible, and responsive to the workforce’s changing needs.

Working with others to support the sector

Throughout this work, we recognise that many of the challenges highlighted in the survey need system wide action and multi-agency collaboration. We’ll continue to work in partnership with Welsh Government, Cwlwm, local authorities, professional bodies, education providers, and regulatory organisations so our collective response is evidence based, targeted, and aligned. 

We’re committed to supporting the development of a highly skilled, diverse, and sustainable childcare workforce that reflects and serves its communities, while contributing to national early years and childcare priorities and the actions set out in the Welsh Government’s 10 year Childcare, Play and Early Years Workforce Plan.

Download the survey questions.