Beginning in the late 1960s community activists, childcare workers, feminists and parents came together to create and improve childcare and early years education in London and beyond. This website begins to tell the little known story of this diverse movement. 

Explore the map to see where and how people have started collective childcare projects, campaigned for childcare, organised for better working conditions or tried to make childcare more inclusive.

Many of the nurseries, co-ops, children’s centres, crèches and playgroups featured on this map have now closed or changed beyond recognition. Governments have relied on the market to provide a growing expanded entitlement to ‘free’ childcare hours – and along with underfunding this has led to a chain-dominated early years sector, de-regulation, increased ratios, and worsening terms and conditions for early years workers. Remaining public, workplace and community nurseries are under threat across London.

Visit act now to learn about how you can support campaigns to save early years services, public, and community nurseries, and to join the new national campaign for public childcare.

Listen to our podcast series Childcare Voices to hear people on the frontline of the childcare crisis share their stories and investigate the historical roots of the problems they face.