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08 February 2006 - Daycare Trust say nursery costs are soaring

The average cost of a full-time nursery place in Britain has reached £7,400 a year, according to the Daycare Trust. The typical charge for a full-time place for a child aged under two years is now £142 a week, its research suggests.

The trust says childcare costs have risen significantly above inflation in the last year, with Scotland up by 8% and Wales up by 7%. The cost of a full-time place in England has risen 27% since 2000, it adds. Charges are highest in London. However, the cost in the capital rose hardly at all in 2005.

Beth Reid, from the Daycare Trust, said rising charges across the country were partly due to rising labour costs. "The minimum wage has been rising and many childcare staff are on the minimum wage," she said.

"Also, the cost of premises is expensive - especially in London and the South East."

Inner London is still the most expensive place in the country when it comes to nursery care. The average charge for a nursery place for a young child is currently £197 a week, while in outer London the typical cost is £174 a week.

But some parents are paying much more, particularly for childminders. The trust's research reveals that for the first time the most expensive childminders cost even more than nurseries, with some childminders in London and the South East charging £500 a week per child.

Looking back over the last five years, the trust says childcare costs have far outstripped the general rise in inflation.

Despite the new government policies introduced in the last few years, the Daycare Trust calculates that parents in the UK still have to pay about 75% of their total childcare costs, compared to a European average of 30%.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk/news

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