IFF will conduct telephone interviews with 2,000 households on behalf of the government’s Social Policy Group to help identify measures to increase the proportion of of the population entering the workforce by delivering better childcare support policies.

Deputy Hunter Adam of the States of Guernsey Government Social Policy Group said: “We hope to use the information to take a report to the States of Guernsey in late 2010 or early 2011 on how the quality, availability and affordability of childcare in the Islands can be improved. Once all the results are analysed, the information that is produced will be invaluable to us.”

The research will target 1,000 families with children and 1,000 employed or unemployed Guernsey nationals.

IFF’s joint managing director Jan Shury (pictured) said: “The Channel Islands have a very different approach to employment support and British policies such as Sure Start [a UK government programme dedicated to the improvement of childcare, early education, health and family support] have not been introduced in Guernsey. The government recognises the challenge posed by concerns around childcare and our study will help identify the barriers and solutions to this.”