Childcare
bills have reached record heights and are still rising, according to a new
survey.
Childcare
charity Daycare Trust said the average cost of a nursery place for a child
under two is now £118 a week, and rates in some parts of the UK, such as London
and the South East, are much higher – around £168 a week.
Stephen
Burke, director of Daycare Trust, said: "British parents face the highest
childcare bills in Europe.
Parents
need more financial help towards childcare costs to enable them to work and
give their children a good start in life.
"The
Government should improve the childcare tax credit and do more to encourage
employers to help their staff with childcare costs.
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"Affordable
childcare for all is crucial to achieving many of the Government’s policies –
from ending child poverty to raising educational attainment."
