The price of sending a child to nursery part-time is now £122 a week – up by seven per cent in a year, a report has found.
The Family and Childcare Trust’s 18th annual childcare survey revealed the costs of childcare are soaring – and in many areas places are also in short supply.
It said that sending a child aged under two to nursery for 25 hours a week now costs £122, and for a child aged two it costs £119 a week.
Working parents in England are entitled to 30 free hours childcare a week for three and four-year-olds.
If they need 20 extra hours on top of this, the average weekly price would be £94, the study said.
The Family and Childcare Trust’s 18th annual survey revealed the costs of childcare are soaring – and in many areas places are in short supply
The above-inflation rises in childcare costs are hitting parents who are already struggling to make their salaries stretch to pay nursery bills.
Many mothers say it is not worth their while going back to work because the cost of getting someone to look after their children while they are away is too high.
The Trust said the survey does not give reasons for price increases, and these are likely to be different for different nurseries.
Many nurseries have previously said the government is causing costs to rise by underfunding the free places offer.
However, while the costs have risen this year, some parents will actually be paying less than last year as they can now use tax free childcare, launched last April.
Tax free childcare covers up to 20 per cent of costs, the study said, so this would take the price paid by parents with a child aged under two who needs 25 hours a week down from £6,344 a year to £5,075.
The survey also showed that prices vary across the country, with costs lowest in the North West and highest in London.
Sending a child aged under two to nursery for 25 hours a week costs £122, and £119 for a child aged two
And it showed that only half of local authorities have enough childcare in all areas for children aged under two – due to a shortage of nurseries.
Ellen Broome, chief executive at the Family and Childcare Trust, said: ‘New government investment is welcome, but this year’s childcare price surge shows that without root and branch reform, many families will be left just treading water.’
Minister for children and families Nadhim Zahawi said it was ‘pleasing’ that parents were now spending less of their wages on childcare ‘as a result of the steps this government has taken’.
He said: ‘There are always challenges when implementing any new policy but we are investing record amounts in childcare – around £6 billion a year by 2020 – and are working with the sector, which has responded well to the 30 hour roll out to address them.
‘Our 15 hours offer for the most disadvantaged 2 year olds is giving these children access to early education and we know that take up of this offer is increasing.’