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RTO mandates drive 41% surge in demand for ‘wraparound’ childcare – Bubble

Three in five parents said either they or their partner had been asked to work in the office more often in the last six months.

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RTO mandates drive 41% surge in demand for ‘wraparound’ childcare – Bubble
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Demand for ‘wraparound’ childcare has surged as more companies have told staff to return to the office, according to research from Bubble.

Research found that families looking for childcare to cover the school run went up by 41% since January 2023. 

Three in five parents said either they or their partner had been asked to work in the office more often in the last six months.

Companies that have brought in return-to-office (RTO) mandates include BlackRock, Amazon, JP Morgan, BT, PwC, Asda, Starling Bank and Santander.

Bubble’s data looked at nearly 100,000 childcare and babysitting requests and compared the first 10 weeks of 2025 to the same period in 2023. 

Requests for regular “school-run sits” starting between 7am to 8am or 2pm to 3pm were up 41%. 

Requests for childcare at 7am rose by 58%, at 2pm by 43%, and at 5pm by 53%.

A poll of Bubble’s parent community found 58% said either they or their partner had been asked to go to the office more. 

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Half of parents said they had to make new or extra childcare arrangements in the last year because of changes to office attendance. 

69% were worried about how the RTO trend could affect work and childcare in coming months. 

The same number said they were not well set-up to arrange extra childcare if needed. 

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61%  worked hybrid, 19% worked fully remotely, and 24% lived over an hour from their workplace.

Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed and co-host of podcast ‘To Be A Boy’, said: “Return-to-office mandates create challenges for all employees, but they place an especially heavy burden on those with caregiving responsibilities. 

“Commuting adds hours to the workday, leaving many parents scrambling for additional childcare – an expensive and often near-impossible task. 

“Yet, few employers consider this when enforcing office returns, likely because it doesn’t affect them personally. The result? Mothers leaving the workforce in droves.”

Ari Last, chief executive and co-founder at Bubble, said: “The shift back to office-based work is putting enormous pressure on parents, forcing them to arrange additional childcare just to keep up.

“Our data shows a clear surge in demand for early morning and evening care, as families struggle to bridge the gaps left by rigid office mandates. 

“Without better support from employers, parents are left footing a hefty bill just to stay in the workforce.”

Last added: “This isn’t sustainable. Employers need to recognize that childcare isn’t just a personal issue – it’s a workforce issue. 

“Companies that want to retain top talent should be offering tangible solutions, whether that’s subsidised childcare, flexible working arrangements, or partnerships with platforms like Bubble to help parents manage care more easily.

“We’re already seeing forward-thinking businesses step up, and it’s time for more to follow suit.”

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