Parents get cheapest childcare – but there’s not enough

CHILDCARE in Wales is the cheapest in Britain – if you can get it.

A 5% drop in prices means childcare in Wales costs an average £15 a week less than in other parts of Britain, but there is a severe shortage of provision, according to new research by the Family and Childcare Trust.

In its 16th annual Childcare Survey, the charity reveals that Welsh parents on average pay just over £100 per week for a part-time nursery place for a child under two or £5,300 per year – making prices in Wales about £15 per week lower than the British average.

But the survey also warns that parents in Wales are more likely to struggle to find the childcare they need, with 17% of councils not having enough provision for all full-time working parents.

Fewer than one in five councils in Wales told the survey it was confident that there was enough childcare in its area for parents working full-time.

The charity said this is a significant drop since 2016 when twice as many councils said there was enough childcare.

Parents who don’t work regular office hours or who have a disabled child face the biggest challenges as no council in Wales has enough childcare for these groups.

Ellen Broomé, deputy chief executive at the Family and Childcare Trust, said: “It is a disgrace that so many parents are shut out of the workplace by crippling childcare costs. The Welsh Government is rightfully investing in childcare, but too many parents are still struggling to find and pay for the childcare they need.

“Childcare is as vital as the rails and roads for helping our country to run: it boosts children’s outcomes throughout life and helps parents work. We need a strategy to make sure that every parent is better off working after they have paid for their childcare costs.”

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “Local authorities are responsible for ensuring there is sufficient childcare provision in their areas, as far as is reasonably practicable. In planning this, each local authority is expected to take into consideration the specific needs of children and their families... We have allocated £2.3m per year to local authorities since 2012 to help them to address any gaps identified.

“We have committed to offer working parents 30 hours a week of free early education and childcare for three and four year olds for 48 weeks of the year. Work is already under way with local authorities and providers to develop and deliver the offer and the first pilot schemes will be rolled out in September.”