If you have children, you’ll know that the cost of childcare can be extortionate. Nursey fees have hit a record high and when Stylist interviewed mothers about how much they were paying for their children to be looked after, several said their costs were over £20,000 a year.

Now, new research by Coram Family and Childcare – a group of specialist charities and organisations that support hundreds of thousands of children, young people and families – has reported that the school summer holidays will cost working parents an average bill of £175 per child per week, equating to over £1,000 per child for the six-week break. The report also found that holiday clubs now costs 2.5 times more than an after-school club during term time (£175 per week compared to £69) and childcare costs have risen by 6% since last summer.

Worryingly, like nursery and school places during term time, the research also found that there aren’t enough spaces in holiday childcare settings compared to demand, with drops across all categories of provision in England over the last year. In England, only 17% of local authorities have enough holiday childcare available for parents in their area who work full time, down 7% from last year.

Coram Family and Childcare are calling on changes to be made to the current childcare system, with a request to the new government to help create enough affordable childcare spaces in the UK. Its managing director, Ellen Broomé, said, “Too many families dread onset of the summer holidays. Rather than a time for families to rest, play and have fun together, many parents worry about how to pay for holiday childcare during the long summer break. And with ever growing shortages of available childcare, finding a place will be a challenge this summer, particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities.”

She added: “The new Government has a real opportunity to change the experience of school-aged children and families during the school breaks. Full reform will take time, but meeting the needs of disadvantaged children and those with SEND should be an early priority, followed by reform of the system to provide the year-round support that families need.”

Images: Getty