London parents are now paying £218 per week for a part time nursery place – the highest in the country and 75 per cent higher than the lowest cost area.
A major survey by Coram Family and Childcare charity also found that only one third of councils in England have enough childcare for parents wanting full-time cover.
The research reveals that the cost of a part time nursery place (25 hours a week) for a child under two has risen by seven per cent across the country to £158 per week. But in inner London the figure is £218 per week. The lowest price was seen in East Midlands, where the equivalent childcare costs £124.60.
The price of a childminder in London is also the highest in the country, with parents in inner London paying £197 for a part time place compared to £110 in the East Midlands.
The cost of a full-time nursery place for two-year-olds in London is £430 – again the highest in the country, and 75 per cent higher than the East Midlands, where it costs just £246.
It comes after Carol Homden, CEO of Coram, told the Standard London is not a child-friendly city, and said more must be done to stem the exodus of families.
Dr Homden said families in the capital are under more pressure from the cost-of-living crisis than those elsewhere, and urged the government to act to make London a more affordable place for families to live.
The Standard revealed headteachers fear “ghost areas” are developing in London, where schools are closing because too few children live there.
Dr Homden called on the government to address the immediate problem of school closures, but also to tackle the root causes, including the high childcare costs London parents face, which she said are “considerably higher” than parents elsewhere have to pay.
Today’s report also highlighted a lack of childcare, with only 34 per cent of councils saying they have sufficient places to meet demand. This is a decrease of 14 per cent on the previous year.
A Coram spokeswoman said councils are concerned about delivering the government’s promised expansion of free childcare places.
Ellen Broome, managing director of Coram Family and Childcare, said: “The new childcare support that is being rolled out from April has the potential to be a game changer for parents up and down the country - many of whom have found themselves facing eye-watering childcare bills and sometimes even locked out of work because of childcare costs.
“Our findings - with higher costs and dramatic drops in availability of childcare places - are concerning at this crucial time, showing the scale of challenge and the very real risks around this policy not living up to parents’ expectations.
“Unless this policy is properly funded and supported, it could have the opposite effect, with families unable to access or afford the childcare they need and the most disadvantaged children set to miss out.”
A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “Our largest ever expansion in free childcare is set to save parents using the full 30 hours up to £6,900 per year, tackling the cost pressures parents are currently facing, with the first stage of the rollout beginning in just two weeks.”
