CHILDCARE
Childcare costs survey 2012 - Daycare Trust
New figures compiled by Daycare Trust show above-inflation increases in the price of nursery care in Britain with the hourly rate for a child aged under-two up 5.8%. The increase for a child aged two and over is 3.9%.
Daycare Trust’s survey reveals:
Average childcare costs now exceed £100 for a part-time place (25 hours) in many parts of Britain, with the average yearly expenditure for a child under two standing at £5,103.
Childminder costs have risen by a smaller amount with a rise of 3.2% for a child under two, and 3.9% for a child aged two and over.
Significant gaps in childcare availability across Britain with a worrying lack of childcare for disabled children and parents who work outside normal office hours.
Over half of local authorities said that parents had reported a lack of childcare in the previous 12 months.
Among its key policy recommendations, the Daycare Trust calls on the government to:
“Promote the business case for employers helping parents with their childcare needs. This should include encouraging employers to offer flexible working arrangements, providing childcare information to parents and offering childcare vouchers to employees.”
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A final word
“These above-inflation increases in the cost of childcare are more bad news for families, heaping further pressure on their stretched budgets as wages remain stagnant and less help is available through tax credits . . .
“At a time when family and government finances are so stretched, and the Treasury is looking to maximise tax revenues and reduce benefit expenditure, it is sheer folly that any parent has to leave work because they cannot afford to pay for childcare.” - Anand Shukla, Chief Executive, Daycare Trust.
“Daycare Trust’s survey highlights the ever growing gap between working parents and affordable childcare. Employers can do their bit to support employees by making flexible working a reality and introducing childcare voucher schemes. Schemes are cost neutral for companies to run and allow a basic rate earner to save nearly £1,000 per year on their childcare costs.” - Julian Foster, Managing Director of Computershare Voucher Services, the sponsors of the survey.
Want to know more?
Title: Annual Childcare Costs Survey 2012, published by Daycare Trust and sponsored by Computershare Voucher Services Ltd.
Availability: To purchase the report visit www.daycaretrust.org.uk/publications.php.
“Daycare Trust is the national childcare charity. We have been working since November 1986 to promote high quality affordable childcare for all.” For more information, visit www.daycaretrust.org.uk.