The lockdown period has been extended for at least another three weeks. Schools and nurseries remain closed, except to a few children. Many parents are at home trying to balance work with looking after their kids. But some are still being asked to pay for childcare they aren’t using. And some childcare staff are still having to go into work, often for very low pay.

What’s gone wrong with childcare? How are key workers and childcare staff managing? And are parents being asked to bail out a broken childcare system?

On this episode of the Weekly Economics Podcast, Ayeisha looks at what Covid-19 and lockdown means for childcare with Lucie Stephens.

If you’re hungry for more, we’ll be following up this discussion in an online briefing over Zoom on Thursday 30 April. We’ll be talking to Lucie, as well as Christine Berry and Zoe Raven, Chief Executive of Acorn Early Years Foundation. Register for your place here https://bit.ly/3eN1KYW

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Researched by Margaret Welsh. Produced by Becky Malone.

Music by The Polish Ambassador and Poddington Bear, used under Creative Commons licence.

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The Weekly Economics Podcast is brought to you by the New Economics Foundation. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org