Released on: 08 March 2013

On 6 March 2013, The Family and Parenting Institute and Daycare Trust released the Childcare Costs Survey

Elizabeth Duff, Senior Policy Adviser of parent charity NCT said:

“The Daycare Trust and FPI survey out on March 6 shows average childcare costs have increased by more than 6% over the past year - double the inflation rate of 2.7%.

“NCT urges the government to seek solutions to the childcare dilemma facing parents - who are paying out sometimes over half an income for a nursery place - without reducing the quality of care. The majority of parents want to return to work after a period of maternity or parental leave but these costs and lack of access to nearby childcare can be an insuperable barrier, meaning women, especially, are more likely to drop out of the labour market.

“The provisions of the Children and Families Bill, currently before Parliament, offer greater flexibility around parental leave but we would also like to see the option in the Bill for parents to return to work at a gradual pace, starting with part-time hours if needed. This would be a popular choice for families and might ease the burden of high hourly rates for care, especially outside the nine-to-five working day.”

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