Families will be paying an average of £1,049 for summer childcare for children aged between four and 14, a new survey has revealed.
This is more than double the cost of six weeks of after-school care during the school term, according to the charity Coram.
Many areas have seen significant price increases in summer childcare, notably in Wales which has seen a 15% rise in costs over the last year (£209 per week), and Yorkshire and the Humber where costs have risen by 13% (£174 per week).
There is also wide variation in holiday childcare costs across the regions, with the lowest costs reported in inner London (£153 per week) and the highest seen in the South East, which at £216 per week, are 23% higher than the average in Britain.
Ellen Broome´, managing director of Coram Family and Childcare, said: ‘Too many families dread onset of the summer holidays. Rather than a time for families to rest, play and have fun together, many parents worry about how to pay for holiday childcare during the long summer break. And with ever growing shortages of available childcare, finding a place will be a challenge this summer, particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
‘The new Government has a real opportunity to change the experience of school-aged children and families during the school breaks. Full reform will take time, but meeting the needs of disadvantaged children and those with SEND should be an early priority, followed by reform of the system to provide the year-round support that families need.’
