Parents paying £111 a week for childcare

THE average family in Scotland is having to find £111 just to keep their child part-time in nursery, after fees rose by double the level of inflation, a charity has claimed.

Childcare prices in Scotland have risen by 4.5 per cent in the last year, according to research by the Family and Childcare Trust.

The charity said Scottish parents pay an average of £111 per week for a parttime nursery place for a child under two, or the equivalent of £5,800 per year.

The Scottish Childminding Association, however, said in its separate survey it found the hourly rate had remained unchanged over 2015-16.

The Family and Childcare Trust said costs in Scotland were about £5 per week lower than the British average, but claimed Scottish parents faced shortages in childcare provision.

Only one in four councils in Scotland were confident that there was enough child- care in their area for every parent that worked full time, the trust said.

The gaps are even bigger for parents who do not work regular office hours, where only one in nine councils said that there was enough care available.

Ellen Broome, deputy chief executive at the Family and Childcare Trust, said: “It is a disgrace so many parents are shut out of the workplace by crippling childcare costs.

“The Scottish Government is rightfully investing in childcare, but too many parents are still struggling to find and pay for childcare.

“Childcare is as vital as the rails and roads for helping a country to run: it boosts children’s outcomes throughout life and helps parents work.

The Scottish Childminding Association said the average hourly rate charged by a childminder in Scotland is £4.08 per hour, according to its recent Pay and Conditions Survey, the same as in the 2015 survey.