'Dramatic drop' in spaces sees nursery fees soar 7%

A part-time nursery place for a child under two now costs an average of £158 per week while only a third of English council areas have sufficient childcare for full-time parents, the latest annual survey from the Coram Family and Childcare charity has found.

- BEN MITCHELL

The research shows that the cost of 25 hours per week for a child under two has risen by 7 per cent since 2023, with the most expensive area being inner London where the average cost is £218 per week.

A total of 34 percent of English councils reported sufficient childcare places, which was a decrease of 14 percent from the previous year. Only 35 percent reported having enough spaces for children under two.

The survey also points to a drop in childcare places for children with disabilities with 6 percent reporting sufficient spaces, which is down 12 percent from 2023. Provision was also found to have reduced for parents working atypical hours – down seven percentage points – and for families in rural areas, which was down by 14 percentage points.