UK in top three for childcare costs

ALMOST a third of the average family's income is spent on childcare costs, new research has revealed - ranking the UK the third most expensive country in the world for working parents.

The report, published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, has sparked the launch of a nationwide survey to obtain a full picture of the financial problems facing families with young children.

The average weekly cost for a nursery place in the UK now stands at 177 a week - twice the global average.

Save the Children and the Daycare Trust hope to use the survey to discover how families throughout the UK, especially those on lower incomes, are coping with the rising cost of nursery places.

"Childcare is becoming a luxury that only families earning a very good wage can comfortably afford," said Sally Copley, head of UK policy at Save the Children.

The poll - which is to be sent out to 70,000 parents and childcare providers across the country and is one of the biggest consultations on childcare to date - will be used to show the government the impact the rising costs have had on families.

"We will be encouraging our staff, volunteers and families who use our services to take part," said Kate Higgins, of the Scottish charity Children 1st.

"We know anecdotally that parents can struggle to find affordable childcare that would allow them to go back to work or return to training, and that there is a particular lack of provision for teenagers."