Six weeks’ worth of holiday childcare could cost working parents nearly £500 more per child typically than the same period during school term time, a report has found.

Parents across Britain face paying around £148 per week typically for holiday childcare, which is a 5% increase compared with 2021, charity Coram Family and Childcare said.

The average weekly cost of childcare is more than double the typical weekly cost of an after school club, which is £67, according to the research.

So while a family could typically pay nearly £890 for six weeks of holiday childcare for each school age child, by comparison, six weeks of term time childcare would cost around £400 on average.

Holiday childcare around the UK

In England, the average weekly holiday cost is £148.09, marking a 4% annual increase.

In Wales, the typical weekly cost is £147.21, which is an 8% annual increase and in Scotland, the average weekly cost is £142.68, which is a 7% annual rise.

The report said that Scotland’s price data needs to be read with caution, following a low response rate to this question on the survey.

It said that in Wales, a relatively high proportion of provision is delivered by the private, voluntary and independent sector, which has been significantly affected by cost pressures since the coronavirus pandemic.

Holiday childcare “is a social and economic resource for the country, providing employers with a reliable workforce and making sure that children are safe, well fed and taking part in positive and fun activities during the break from school”, the report added.

The report is based on surveys from local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales, which were returned to Coram Family and Childcare between April and June 2022.

More from the report

The provision of childcare covered in the report includes holiday clubs registered with an official regulator, those managed by the private, voluntary and independent sector and those run by local authorities.

Childminders, informal childcare arrangements and holiday camps were not included in the report.

The report also highlighted the patchy availability of childcare, particularly for parents of disabled children, parents working atypical hours and families living in rural areas.

People may find there are ways to save on their childcare costs, such as with Tax-Free Childcare, for example. More information about eligibility is at www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare.

Ellen Broome, managing director of the company that issued the report, said: “Many parents will have no choice but be locked out of work altogether or struggle to pay for basic necessities such as food or rent.

“Holiday childcare is key economic infrastructure. The lack of childcare places for working parents is a serious problem – not just for families but for the country’s economic output.

“Children have experienced such disruption throughout the pandemic and holiday childcare offers them a safe and fun space to stay active and connect with their friends while also helping to tackle the summer learning loss.”

What are you doing about childcare this summer? Let us know in the Comments