Summer Childcare Costs - do they break the bank?

The Family and Childcare Trust has released a new study which suggests that the average weekly childcare cost during holiday periods is a staggering £109.23 – a rise of 9.2% from last year, and topping £100 for the first time.

So what does this mean for today’s parents? Well, the Trust believes that it could lead to an increase in the numbers of children being left home alone. Chief executive Anand Shukla has said that with many nurseries closing, and cuts to other youth services, many parents see no other way out.

Holiday cover can be a headache for many working parents with schools, pre-schools and nurseries closing for weeks at a time. With prices continuing to rise, finding suitable and affordable childcare is becoming increasingly difficult.

The report suggests that paying for childcare for 2 children for just 4 weeks of the summer holidays could cost more than £850 – a price way beyond what many of us can feasibly afford. Childcare is often thought of something that only applies to young children, but older school age children are also hit hard, with the closure of many local youth and play schemes which provide socialisation, childcare and fun for many. With holiday childcare costs rising much faster than the average wage, we are likely to see large numbers of parents forced to take unpaid leave to care for their children, o, worryingly, more children left unsupervised during the summer break.

Education Minister Elizabeth Truss has stated that the government wants to make sure that ‘good quality, affordable and reliable childcare’ is in place to allow parents to work, and that plans will shortly be put in place to tackle the affordability and availability of this childcare, both during holidays and term times.

So what do you think? Is school holiday childcare a problem for you? Do you spend all your wages on childcare, or are you forced to take unpaid time off? Are you concerned about the numbers of children who are left unsupervised when parents are unable to find, or afford, proper supervision? And what would your suggestions be to turn this around?

Let us know in the comments box below.

Author: - Kate Fever blogger at:  Family Fever