Two-thirds of councils slash childcare and play services

11 July 2011 1 min read Janaki Mahadevan Early Years

Nearly two-thirds of councils in England have cut their budgets for childcare and play services this year, with almost half offering lower levels of holiday childcare provision, a Daycare Trust survey has found.

The results of the charity’s 10th annual Holiday Childcare Costs survey, published in National Childcare Week, also show that more than half of local authorities had recorded parent complaints regarding a shortage of holiday childcare in the past year.

Nearly 90 per cent also did not have enough childcare for either disabled children or those aged over 12.

Data received from 123 local authority family and children information services across England, Scotland and Wales, shows that in the past year the cost of childcare has risen by three per cent in England. But there are wide variations across the regions with costs in the North East increasing by almost 20 per cent. The average weekly cost of holiday childcare in England is £96.85 compared to £89.79 in Scotland and £81.98 in Wales.

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