Hackney Council is calling on local families to share their childcare experiences as part of a campaign to pressure the government into urgent reform, aiming to end the 'postcode lottery' that leaves some families struggling to afford care. The Green-led council announced on Monday (10 August) that anonymised testimonies from parents and carers will be compiled into a report and sent to Westminster, with the consultation open until October 11, 2026.
Council's push for evidence
The move follows the Green Party's manifesto pledge to lobby for free, universal, high-quality early years care, as well as reviewing nursery fee hikes introduced by the previous Labour administration in September 2025. The council said at the time that scrapping subsidies for families with a combined income over £55,000 was timed to coincide with the national expansion of government-funded childcare, but the decision sparked immediate backlash from campaign group Protect Hackney Nurseries and the Green Party, who called for a pause and rethink.
However, the Greens faced criticism in June after taking over the council when plans emerged to raise nursery fees again in September, though these were set by the previous administration. Ella Whelan, a campaigner from Protect Hackney Nurseries, accused the party of breaking its manifesto promises. Mayor of Hackney, Zoë Garbett, said officers were expediting the review of nursery fees.
Parents react to consultation
Cllr Soraya Adejare, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Early Intervention, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) on Wednesday (12 August) that the council would 'continue to look at what we can do better locally to continue to provide support where and when it's most needed' alongside lobbying the government for change. She added that the call for evidence was to ensure the council's efforts are backed by evidence, saying: 'We want to hear from all local parents and carers that use, have used, or plan to use any type of childcare in Hackney. This could mean their child being cared for in a children's centre, in a public, private, or voluntary nursery, by a childminder, or through any other formal or informal arrangement.'
Feyzi Ismail, a parent who joined last year's campaign against fee rises, welcomed the council's bid to pressure the government but expressed surprise at the call for more evidence. 'I have a lot of sympathy for the Greens and Zoë Garbett. But we have the reports. We know what the problems are. This call for evidence feels like delaying,' she said. Ms Ismail said the fee increases forced her to move her daughter to a nursery school to avoid paying an extra £400 a month, but this led to higher costs during school holidays. 'I've paid £800 for the last three weeks at a holiday camp,' she said. 'It's cheaper to go away than to spend over £1,000 over the summer for childcare.'
Impact on families and local services
A survey by the charity Pregnant Then Screwed found that 89% of mothers and 81% of fathers in the UK use annual leave to cover holiday childcare, while a third take unpaid leave. 'It's an untenable situation for lots and lots of parents and carers,' Ms Ismail added. 'There have been endless media stories about this. The government knows this. But what is going to pressure them to adjust their spending priorities?'
Hackney has been hit by rising childcare costs, stretched local authority budgets, and increasing operational costs. In April, the private Hackney Day Nursery and Pre-School closed due to a 'significant' rise in rent and declining pupil numbers. This followed the council's 2024 attempt to shut two children's centres, Fernbank and Sebright, to cut £4 million from its early years budget, which was blocked by a judicial review after the High Court found the consultation 'unlawful'. In September 2025, the council said it had 'no hard plans' to bring back proposals, but another consultation on the centres' future would come later. When asked by the LDRS, the council did not provide an update on the centres' fate.
