We were delighted to be included in an article in the International Business Times on a piece on the rising cost of childcare.
Read the article here.
Here is a summary of the article:
- High childcare costs in the UK are pushing many mothers out of the workforce. The UK is ranked the third most expensive country for childcare among OECD countries, just behind Switzerland and New Zealand.
- Coram, a children’s charity, shows that the average annual cost of a full-time nursery for a child under two is nearly £15,000, while the cost for a childminder is close to £13,000. Placing a toddler in childcare can cost parents 66% of their wages.
- Over the last year, 72% of local authorities reported increases in childcare prices by local providers.
- A survey of 27,000 parents by Pregnant Then Screwed found that 43% of mothers considered leaving their jobs and 40% worked fewer hours to manage rising childcare costs.
- Nicole Green, Co-founder of Catch, reports that all the mothers she employs have had to work fewer hours due to the cost and accessibility of childcare. Many mothers at Catch have chosen to work as freelance consultants for the flexibility it provides.
- Despite creating a flexible work culture at Catch, Green believes mothers’ problems cannot be resolved simply through flexible working. She argues that the shortcomings of the UK childcare system are too severe.
- The pandemic has exacerbated challenges for working parents due to closures and reduced operating capacities of schools and childcare facilities. Zoe Jones, Director of Jobs for Women, noted that women’s employment decreased by 1.5% between January-March 2020 and October-December 2020.
- A study from the London School of Economics found that the government’s pandemic response did not adequately consider gender, resulting in mothers losing work at triple the rate of fathers.
- The cost of living crisis and rising inflation make the situation especially difficult for mothers. Coram Family and Childcare’s new survey reveals that 72% of reports show local childcare providers have increased prices, and nearly 48% say some providers have reduced staffing. Over half of local authorities blame the country’s failing childcare system on the rising energy cost.
- Critics argue that the government’s response has been insufficient. The recent Spring Budget announcement by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt included a £4 billion expansion of free childcare, set to start in April 2024, but concerns have been raised about the lack of increase in nursery staff and space to support the expansion. Campaigns such as Pregnant Then Screwed, Netmums, and Mumsnet oppose the expansion, stating that it won’t benefit parents in the long run due to the pressure on staff and loosened child-to-staff ratios.
