The average cost of six weeks of summer childcare has reached £1,145 per child, according to Coram Family and Childcare's annual survey, with prices rising 5% above inflation across Britain. Almost three-quarters of parents say the summer childcare juggle can damage their career, and many are sharing how they are getting through the school holidays.
Regional price rises and weekly costs
Parents are footing an average bill of £191 per child per week for holiday clubs and childminders, the survey shows. The exact amount parents pay differs by region, with prices in Wales having gone up by twice as much as the national average. In Wales, the cost of care averages £224 a week, or a total of £1,342 over the six-week summer break.
Coram Family and Childcare's annual survey highlights that holiday childcare costs are rising faster than the general rate of inflation. This places additional financial pressure on families already managing the demands of school holidays alongside work commitments.
Parents share their coping strategies
One mother, who works as a stock processor for a charity, relies on flexible working and her husband's ability to work from home to get through the summer with their three children. She told the Guardian: "I long to work a better job with more hours to enhance all of our lives but right now I have to sit on my hands and keep the plates spinning."
She added: "At the moment, it's just about getting by. I think that's what a lot of families are doing – just doing the best they can." The mother also expressed concern about the impact on her children, saying: "I feel like our arrangement isn't great for the kids. They are stuck at home most of the summer and we don't have the money to engage them in many extracurricular activities."
Shared calendars and rota crews
Another parent described a different approach, saying: "Our rota crew have the best summer ever and as adults, we've really all bonded. It's the base of our friendship group now." She noted that this arrangement avoids parent burnout, adding: "No one gets parent burnout either … six or seven weeks is a long time to be with your kids while you're trying to juggle working."
A father explained how his family coordinates their summer schedule: "We have two shared calendars … and we negotiate the summer holidays because we have to work out how we all work, live and keep the kids safe. That's normally a conversation a few months in advance."
Single parents face additional challenges
Emily Marshall, groups manager at single-parent charity Gingerbread, has taken unpaid time off work to avoid using holiday clubs. She told Big Issue: "I'm a single parent of a primary school-aged child and childcare is a constant juggling challenge during the school holidays."
Marshall continued: "Like many parents, I have one annual leave allowance but need to cover six weeks of summer holidays, alongside all the other school breaks throughout the year. The cost of holiday clubs can be significant and the hours don't always fit around a full working day."
The survey and personal accounts highlight the financial and logistical strain on families during the summer break, with many parents forced to make difficult trade-offs between work, career progression, and childcare arrangements.
