The cost of childcare is an issue that impacts parents and future parents alike.
In the last two years, many office workers have been able to skip the childcare expenses and spend quality time with their children whilst working from home. However, with an office return being encouraged across the country, it’s reminded many of us how expensive childcare is.
Easy Offices , a leading provider of office space to rent, surveyed 2,000 people across the country in order to try and understand the financial impact childcare has on the lives of UK workers. Key findings in the report were:
- 21% of workers in Liverpool have made the decision to not have children, due to the costs of childcare.
- 1 in 6 (17%) agree that the cost of childcare has forced potential parents to consider leaving work behind altogether.
- On average, respondents would sacrifice 8.8% of their salary in exchange for parental perks.
READ MORE: 'Do non-paying parents understand the impact they have on their children?'
Liverpool hosts the third highest percentage of workers who said they’ve decided not to have children due to the cost of childcare. Following Birmingham with 22.6% and London, which had the highest percentage with 24.1%. You can read the full report on their website.
This week, I spoke to local mums who currently require childcare to work. Lois had a big age gap between her children, so she didn’t have two in nursery at the same time. Some women told me they can’t afford to plan for a child at all, as they don’t feel they’d be able to afford to give them the life they deserve.
Gemma is just about to go back to work after her first baby, but worries she won’t be able to afford the childcare. Lucy and her husband can’t plan a second child as their current childcare bill is £1,000 per month.
Naomi has a five and a two year old and says the summer holidays fill her with dread. The childcare bill for single mum and NHS nurse Marcia is £1,200 per month!
Gem said she can’t afford to go back full time due to the costs of childcare, but feels extremely fortunate that the grandparents help out so she’s able to work three days per week.
Hannah says: “We've both dropped days in work so one of us is always at home! That pay drop is less than childcare would cost us! People who have grandparents who help don't know how lucky they are.”
Chloe told me: “I’ve just had twins and already can’t get over the cost of childcare. We’re a normal working family and it’s just s**t how much the government don’t support you because you earn a wage.”
In 2021 Anna Whitehouse @mother_pukka on Instagram used her Flex Appeal campaign, together with @pregnant_then_screwed to lobby for a government review of the affordability of childcare in the UK. Their petition to commission an independent review of childcare funding and affordability, gained over 113,000 signatures and was debated on Monday, September 13, 2021.
During the debate, Vicky Ford MP who was the Parliamentary Under-secretary for the department of education at the time noted that 93% of childcare workers are women who are "languishing on poverty pay after suffering years of real-terms pay cuts under Conservative governments". She added: "The average wage in the sector is £7.42 per hour, and shamefully, one in 10 staff earn less than £5 an hour. These talented and dedicated workers are unsurprisingly leaving the sector as quickly as they can.”
The government formally responded to the petition on June 23, 2021 stating that they are not currently planning a review of the childcare system, saying “Support is available to help with childcare costs and the government monitors the sustainability of childcare providers.” Maintaining the position that their offer of tax free childcare for working families, working tax credits for low income families and free hours of early years education for particular age groups, should suffice.
So there remains the conundrum. People who work in the industry can’t afford a nursery place. Workers on higher salaries are crippled by the colossal fees and increasing numbers of people feel that having their own children simply isn’t worth the money or the stress.
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