Childcare cost rises ‘may make parents quit their jobs’ – BBC News

Some parents could be forced out of work and into poverty as the rising cost of childcare outstrips wage rises, says a report.

A survey by the Daycare Trust charity showed that the average cost of nursery care in Britain for children under two rose by nearly 6% last year.

Average wages rose by just 0.3%.

The government said it was investing an extra £300m to help families with childcare costs and increasing places in free early years education.

The figures, published in the Daycare Trust’s annual survey of childcare prices, also show the costs of child minders and of nurseries for children over two rose by nearly 4%.

The report also highlights the impact of the government’s recent limits on the tax credits which lower-paid parents can claim to pay for childcare.

Analysis of government figures for last year show that 44,000 fewer families are receiving this help – while those who still get it receive an average of £500 a year less, says the report…

via BBC News – Childcare cost rises ‘may make parents quit their jobs’.