Child Dynamix

Challenge

Childcare plays an important role in tackling poverty. High quality early education can help reduce the effects of poverty on children and their families by improving children’s educational outcomes and supporting their development. Flexible, affordable childcare can also help parents get back into work or education. But in many areas, childcare options are limited and access to them can be difficult.

Approach

Child Dynamix provides high quality affordable nursery places in some of Hull and Grimsby’s most deprived communities. Alongside many free nursery places, they provide a range of services for children, young people and families including employment support, children’s and youth services and debt advice. Child Dynamix received a £280,000 loan from Social and Sustainable Capital’s Community Investment Fund, an £18 million fund which Big Society Capital invested £10 million into. Along with a grant from Power to Change, Child Dynamix used the investment to purchase and refurbish a 53-place nursery, enabling them to continue to deliver services to children in low-income families and increase the number of available local nursery places. The investment is repaid through nursery enrolment, with many places covered by the 30 hours free childcare scheme.

Impact

Child Dynamix reaches more than 6,000 people a year across Hull and the Humber through three different sites. They provide youth clubs, children’s centres and parent peer mentoring for people living in some of the most deprived areas of the UK.