Summer child care costs leave parents out in the cold

Affordable quality child care services must be available to all
children and families during school holidays, child care experts
have warned.

Research by child care charity the Daycare Trust reveals that
families across the UK will face an average bill of almost £76
per week for their children’s day care during this
year’s school summer holidays.

However costs vary widely across the country, with the average
rising to almost £88 per week in the South East and the most
expensive holiday care surveyed coming in at £270 per
week.

In addition, many parents – and particularly those in rural
areas – are reporting a shortfall in affordable accessible
schemes, making it hard for them to plan for the summer.

Daycare Trust chief executive Susan Crane warned that the warm
summer weather would be “cold comfort” to those parents
facing significant holiday child care costs.

“It is at times like these that the benefits of working for
some families can become marginal with the cost of child care
consuming a large part of a family’s income,” Crane
said.

“We need to make sure that quality child care services are
available to all children and families during school holidays, and
that parents are able to access adequate help with the costs
through a reliable tax credits system.”