A STAGGERING 92 per cent of parents in Fermanagh report that there is "insufficient" provision of childcare in their area - the highest figure across Northern Ireland.
Unfortunately, this stark finding - obtained by The Impartial Reporter - only scratches the surface.
Ask any parent, and they will agree that childcare costs are astronomical, often surpassing the monthly cost of a mortgage.
According to statistics, shared with us by Employers for Childcare, these costs are placing a huge strain on Fermanagh families, who on average are paying £904 per month. Some are paying as much as £2,000, leaving little left over for the other essentials of life.
READ MORE: "I do lose sleep over it because it's not fair that parents don't have more help.”
Availability is also an issue, and in isolated rural areas such as Fermanagh, accessing high-quality childcare is another challenge local parents grapple with. Many have had to make hard decisions, whether it be scaling back their hours, or quitting work altogether.
It is no surprise, then, that a stark 96 per cent of working parents report that childcare stress impacts their productivity at work.
Just under half of parents in Fermanagh said that they have had to reduce their working hours due to childcare commitments, while 37 per cent feel they haven't progressed in their career as a result.
36 per cent haven't pursued education or training. Eight per cent of parents have had to stop working altogether.
These aren't just figures on a spreadsheet. These are real people; the hard-pressed mum and dad who worry about how they will make ends meet; the single mum who has had to reduce their hours; or the elderly family member who has had to take on some of the burden of childcare, on top of their own stresses.
All too often the plight of parents, family and caregivers goes unheard, and sadly, they aren't the only group under intense pressure from an increasingly worrying situation.
Of childcare providers surveyed in Fermanagh, more than half (52 per cent) described their financial situation as “struggling” or “distressed”. In simple terms, they are focused on survival over the next 12 months, or at immediate risk of closure.
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As a result, 84 per cent have had to increase their fees, on average by 20 per cent, which has a knock-on effect on those who use them.
Increased costs and potential closures serve to heap further pressure on local families, who find themselves trapped in a system that is close to breaking point.
Undoubtedly, the stifling problems resulting from childcare are being faced by parents across the UK - but in many ways, many of these problems are unique to Northern Ireland.
In England, working families receive either 15 hours or 30 hours of childcare, depending on age, and imminent changes will see provision extended, to cover all children under five-years-old.
Families in England have benefitted from this system, and will continue to do so in greater numbers; all while stricken NI parents look on in envy.
One Fermanagh parent, who spoke anonymously to Employers for Childcare, detailed the impact that such a lack of government support is having on herself and her family.
“Like many parents working full time, I am seriously considering going to part time hours in my teaching job in order to relieve the financial burden of paying for childcare," she said.
"It is having a detrimental impact financially on my family. I am also relying on elderly grandparents and family members, one currently undergoing treatment for lung cancer.
"There needs to be a Childcare Strategy in place which gives proper support for parents.”
Her story is, sadly, all too common.
Meanwhile, another parent described the current situation as "crippling".
"The current system is crippling parents and our economy as its too expensive and people are increasingly unable to afford to work," she said. "I rely on my own mum to help, so I only need childcare part time – even then it’s a struggle.”
A Fermanagh father said: "The childcare costs are more than my mortgage. My wife has had to cut her hours down as we can’t afford five-days childcare for both of the children."
Clearly, the problems arising from expensive and scarce childcare are all too common for families in Fermanagh and beyond. Many feel a dedicated childcare system, like what is available in England, would be a huge help.
Politically, years of impasse at Stormont may have dogged the chance of such a strategy becoming a reality, and despite the restoration of the Executive in recent times, little progress has been made to date.
Education Minister Paul Givan has said that developing a childcare strategy is a "top priority" - but also stressed that it could cost Stormont as much £400m per year.
However, despite the cost, the survey of Fermanagh families suggests that this would be money well spent, helping improve both their home lives and career opportunities.
According to Employers for Childcare, a total of 75 per cent of parents said that they would be able to progress in their careers if they had access to more affordable childcare.
Meanwhile, 56 per cent said they could upskill and undertake training, while 43 per cent would be able to work more hours.
And, perhaps most importantly, 11 per cent say that if affordable childcare was available, they would be able to return to work.
With 11 per cent more parents in work, the benefits on employability - as well as household incomes - are clear.
READ MORE: "Paying for childcare simply isn't viable"
Fermanagh mother Ciara McConnell said she feels "trapped" by the current system - and her story is all too common.
While Ciara, from Enniskillen, receives Universal Credit support which covers childcare for her two children, aged five and three, this is dependent on her income, leaving her unable to work extra hours that would improve her family's quality of life.
According to Ciara, who works three days as a nurse, taking on 'bank shifts' or agency work is out of the question, as whatever she earns is deducted from her Universal Credit.
Unable to work extra shifts and facing a tight family budget, things like buying her own home, and oftentimes smaller luxuries for her kids, is out of the question.
Ciara says she longs for a system that would see free hours of childcare subsidised, such as in England, which offers up to 30-hours depending on age.
This would, she feels, give her greater financial independence as a single mum.
"I have always worked full time, but since I am on my own with my two children, I am eligible for universal credit support," she says. "However, I soon realised that if I worked any extra or full-time hours, the less I got in Universal Credit.
"I started to realise that I am working here for nothing, and this is frustrating, especially when you want to work to have extra money for yourself when you are co-parenting.
"In the NHS, there are plenty of opportunities to bank or do agency, but because of the current system, I can't take advantage of it.
"As I am working reduced hours, getting a mortgage isn't possible, and I am unable to work and save for extra things that we may need.
"I feel very much trapped and stuck in my current situation, at least until my kids don't need childcare. Unfortunately, that is a long way off."
Overleaf, we speak to other local parents on the brink, who feel trapped, beaten down and beleaguered by the state of unaffordable childcare.
Some speak of the eye-watering monthly costs; others about how the situation is placing strain on their marriage; many talk of having to drastically scale back working, or quitting altogether.
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