UK Summer Holiday Childcare Costs Hit £1,076, Coram Survey Shows

Parents in Britain now face an average bill of £1,076 to keep a child in full-time holiday clubs during the six-week summer break, according to Coram Family and Childcare’s annual survey of local authorities. The figure equates to £179 a week and is 4% higher than last year, widening the gap with term-time after-school clubs, which cost about £399 for the same period. Regional differences are stark. Wales commands the highest weekly price at £210, followed by England at £178 and Scotland at £168. Yorkshire and the Humber recorded the steepest annual rise, up 13% to £194 a week. Using a registered childminder is even more expensive, averaging £234 a week nationwide and as much as £306 in Inner London. Availability is also under strain, particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Just 9% of councils in England said they had sufficient holiday childcare for at least three-quarters of these children, with no region reporting adequate coverage in the East Midlands, East of England or Inner London. Coram has urged the government to extend funding and support for providers, warning that escalating costs and limited places risk undermining parents’ ability to stay in work outside term time.