Childcare costs have risen by nearly 6 per cent over the past year, taking the average price of a full-time nursery place for a toddler under two to an “eyewatering” £14,836 per year, a new report says.
Coram, the children’s charity warned that the availability of places has also dropped. Fewer than one in five (18 per cent) local authorities in England report having enough childcare places for disabled children, down from 21 per cent.
High costs are “freezing parents out of work” and gaps in availability are “leaving disadvantaged children at risk of missing out”, according to the charity’s report.
The survey found the average price of a part-time childcare place (25 hours) a week for a child aged under two in a nursery is now £148.63 across Britain – and it is even higher in England (£150.89).
The report is based on surveys from local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales that were returned to the charity between November 2022 and February 2023. Overall, 191 local authorities returned data.
