Source: INDEPENDENT >> Read full article and comment
As schools break up, parents need all the assistance they can get to avoid taking time off work. But help is at hand, says Chiara Cavaglieri
Sunday, 18 July 2010
With the end of the school year upon us, children all over Britain will be looking forward to a long summer break. But for many working parents, those six weeks will force them to dig deep to cover the mounting cost of childcare.
Although the latest holiday childcare cost survey by the Daycare Trust revealed a modest 3 per cent rise in the average cost of a week’s childcare across Britain to £93, this hides wide regional variations. Costs can range from just under £60 a week for local authority-provided childcare in Wales to more than £119 a week for private or voluntary sector childcare in the East of England. The survey also shows that local council childcare, which is the cheapest option for parents, is struggling to meet demand. Spending cuts and the impact of the recession have seen the amount of holiday childcare falling in 40 per cent of local authorities….Continue Reading
