Working mums struggle with summer childcare
Three out of five working mothers in the North East don’t have enough childcare for school summer holidays, according to a union survey.
More than 1,000 women in the region responded to the TUC survey on the challenges of managing childcare during the holiday – with 61% saying they don’t have enough care over the six weeks.
The situation is even worse for single mums, with 67% not having adequate childcare for the upcoming holidays.
More than 35,000 women took part in the survey by the TUC and campaign group Mother Pukka – with over 1,000 from the North East.
Of those in the region, 20% said they had already used all their annual leave to accommodate home schooling during lockdowns, 19% do not have their usual support network of friends or family and 14% don’t have access to their usual school holiday summer clubs.
Most say they are relying on being able to work more flexibly than before to help them cope.
TUC regional secretary Beth Farhat said: “Women have borne the brunt of the pandemic, on the front line in key worker roles and at home, and while restrictions may be lifting and ministers talk about us getting back to normal, working mums are still feeling the impact of the pandemic.
“Let’s make sure everyone has stronger legal rights to flexible working arrangements and I’d urge employers to be as supportive as they can to their staff who have kids, and not force them back to the office if working at home helps them balance their work and childcare.”