Nursery World - Do-able ways to make childcare more affordable

Everyone agrees that childcare is increasingly unaffordable for most families in Britain. But the debate on affordability has been short on solutions so far. Denise Burke offers some solutions

If government is serious about making childcare more affordable for low and middle income families, then its Childcare Commission will have to persuade the Treasury to invest significantly more in childcare. There are no short cuts – but the pay-offs for families, employers and the economy will be substantial.

With British parents facing some of the highest childcare costs in Europe, many - particularly women - are finding it almost impossible to make work pay. Evidence from other countries shows that dropping out of work while having children has significant lifetime effects on women's income and on the economy. The Resolution Foundation’s latest report, Counting the costs of childcare, confirms what we already know: the cost of childcare is the biggest barrier stopping parents, mostly women, entering and staying in employment.

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