News

Child care bills have reached record heights, according to child care charity the Daycare Trust.

The charity's latest annual survey published last week shows the typical cost of a nursery place for a child under two is now £120 per week, and £112 per week for a child over the age of two. However, in some parts of the country, typically in London and south east England, the costs are much higher, with inner London bills averaging £149 per week.

According to the Daycare Trust, the high costs mean millions of children miss out on the benefits of quality child care, while the fact that demand for child care places far outstrips supply has resulted in price rises for parents. There is currently one child care place for every seven children, says the trust, with most children's information services reporting a lack of quality affordable child care in their area.

The problem is further compounded by the requirement that parents pay three-quarters of the cost of child care in the UK, with government paying most of the rest, plus a small contribution by employers. Such factors explain why only 13 per cent of parents with dependent children use formal child care services all the time, claims the trust.

"British parents face the highest child care bills in Europe," said Daycare Trust director Stephen Burke. "Despite the investment made since the National Childcare Strategy was launched in 1998, parents still face a daily struggle to find - let alone pay for - quality child care. As a result, children are missing out on learning and development opportunities, and many parents are trapped in a low pay/no pay cycle."

The trust says working families on lower incomes can get financial help towards child care through the child care tax credit but still have to pay nearly a third of the costs, while the vast majority of workless families get no help at all.

Three million children live in families where there is no working adult, adds the trust, but only 20,000 children can access services paid for by their local authority.

"With a quarter of children growing up in workless families, child care is key to tackling child poverty and helping parents to work, learn and boost family income," added Burke.