About this study
The Neighbourhood Nursery Initiative (NNI) was set up in 2001 by the Government to fund childcare places in disadvantaged areas.
The aims of the initiative were to:
- expand childcare provision in the most disadvantaged areas of the country,
- lower unemployment levels in disadvantaged areas, by making childcare available so that parents could go out to work,
- close the childcare gap between the most disadvantaged areas and national levels, and
- provide high quality childcare.
NNI nurseries now form the foundation of many Sure Start Children's Centres.
Our evaluation of the initiative's impact was largely positive. You can read a pdf of the findings, an online summary of the findings and the full report.
The impact assessment was part of a large evaluation undertaken in collaboration with the University of Oxford and the Institute of Fiscal Studies.
Policy Impact
A key aim of the NNI was to lower unemployment. We found that unemployment levels had reduced among parents, but for some parents the cost of childcare still prevented them from using services. A key part of parent's funding for childcare is the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit, but parents are only eligible for this benefit if they are working. If childcare services are to be truly effective in supporting parent's employment, greater synergy is needed between Government welfare policy and local childcare initiatives.
Methods
We obtained data for the Neighbourhood Nursery Initiative (NNI) impact study from the following:
- A postal survey of parents with pre-school children in NNI areas and comparison areas to identify work-ready parents.
- A follow-up telephone survey of 2,647 work-ready parents.
- A face-to-face survey of 512 Neighbourhood Nursery users.
- Administrative data from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.