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Childcare failures bad for the economy

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lack of childcare has bad effect on the economyNearly a million working days lost to UK economy as lack of childcare forces parents out of work.

New research by the Family and Childcare Trust and Netmums has exposed that almost a fifth (17 per cent) of parents had to call in sick last year in order to manage childcare during the six week summer holiday.

A further 12 per cent of parents had been forced to give up their jobs entirely due to a lack of childcare.

This damning revelation means the UK economy is missing out on nearly one million working days, costing the Exchequer nearly £100million every year.

The survey coincides with the Family and Childcare Trust’s annual review into holiday childcare which shows the average price for holiday clubs and play schemes has gone up to £114.51 per week.

Some parents are not able to find summer holiday provision at all, as the survey shows that only 27 per cent of local councils in England and 6 per cent in Wales had enough holiday childcare for working parents.

Other key findings from the research show:

A family with two school-age children who need to buy four weeks of childcare at a holiday club or play scheme will need to find around £916.08.

This could buy a family of four a week’s holiday in Portugal staying at a self-catering apartment, including flights and transfers;

More than a quarter of parents (27 per cent) said they had not been able to take a family holiday together because they had to use their annual leave separately cover childcare for their children;

Almost a third (28 per cent) said their employer had refused to change their work patterns over the school holidays;

And 66 per cent said the summer is the most difficult time of the year for finding childcare.

Anand Shukla, chief executive, Family and Childcare Trust, said: “A combination of unaffordable prices, lack of holiday childcare and inflexible employers is not only causing stress for parents, but it’s bad for the economy.

“Most parents have no choice but to work, and should not have to take sick days to manage childcare.

“This is not the way to operate a modern economy, and this is why we are calling on employers and head teachers to help parents manage the school holidays, and on government for a new childcare strategy that properly represents the realities working families face today.”

Julia McGinley, from Netmums, said: “This important report echoes what we hear from parents online every day.

“We were shocked but not surprised to hear about the difficulties that parents face in finding and paying for childcare in the holidays.

“Many parents get by on a wing and a prayer and that’s not good enough. No parent should be forced to give up work because they can’t find childcare.”

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