Childcare costs during holidays up 4% in a year

SURVEY: Scottish families shell out average of £122.44 a week, report finds

Parents are now shelling out £133 a week per child on average for childcare during the school holidays across the UK, a report has found.

Holiday childcare costs have risen by 4% in just a year, according to the Family and Childcare Trust’s annual survey, leaving parents with expensive bills.

It also suggests many families are facing a “postcode lottery” as the figure stands at £134.66 in England, while in Scotland and Wales it is around £10 cheaper at £124.44 and £124.85 respectively.

A further breakdown shows the most expensive English region is the east of England, where parents can expect to hand over £169.38 a week for full-time holiday care.

This is around 35% higher than some other areas, including Inner London, where average weekly prices are £125.01 and the West Midlands at £125.90.

Overall, the report notes, holiday childcare costs are nearly two and a half times as much per week as an afterschool club.

“For parents and carers, finding childcare during the holidays can be particularly challenging,” the report says.

“The price is normally significantly higher than term time childcare, which can throw off carefully managed budgets.

“There are also substantial gaps in availability, meaning many parents will find it difficult to find childcare that covers their working patterns and suits their children’s needs.

“Where holiday childcare is unavailable or too expensive, parents are left with few options.

“Many cannot call on family and friends to provide all the informal childcare they need, and will not have enough annual leave to cover the long break, and some struggle to stay in work.”

The report is based on surveys of local authorities in Scotland, England and Wales.

Ellen Broome, chief executive at the Family and Childcare Trust, said: “Now is the time to urgently address childcare policy for school-age children.

“For too many families, the long summer holiday is a time of stress and expense as they try to patch together a solution despite the gaps in availability and financial support.”

Justine Roberts, Mumsnet founder and CEO, said: “Once again, this study is showing that childcare costs are a huge drag on families’ budgets; ‘free’ childcare hours, welcome as they are, are often confined to term time, leaving mothers and fathers scrabbling to make piecemeal arrangements throughout the long vacation.”

Newly released figures provide yet more woe for working parents. If they choose to go on holiday outwith term time they already face a huge premium – now hard-pressed parents who work during the school break face costs averaging over £120 a week for childcare.

Of course, having offspring quite rightly entails a burden of responsibility, but it is incumbent upon society in general to ensure costs faced by parents are not prohibitive.