AbstractThis is the first in a series of five reports that together use Growing Up in New Zealand data toexplore how the inability to access affordable childcare affects the long run labour marketoutcomes of mothers. This report investigates how commonly mothers experience difficultyaccessing affordable childcare and the characteristics of the mothers most likely to face theseissues. We find large ethnic disparities in access to childcare remain even after controlling for awide range of parental characteristics, with Māori and Pasifika substantially more likely toexperience access issues than Europeans. Similarly, access issues have a strong socioeconomicgradient, measured both by household income and deprivation index, and antenatalunemployment and benefit receipt in particular predict a lack of access to childcare.