More families across England are struggling to find childcare places and are facing higher prices, leaving disadvantaged children “at risk of missing out”, a charity has warned. The Coram Family and Childcare’s annual 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 the UK – and even higher in England (£150.89).
These 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. It said that fewer than one in five (18%) local authorities in England report having enough childcare places for disabled children, down from 21% last year.
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. Only half (50%) of local authorities in England reported sufficient childcare places for children under two, compared to 57% in 2022.
