Parents losing £15K due to ‘patchwork’ childcare

Families with young children are missing out on £15,000 worth of annual income due to a lack of childcare, according to a new report.

A new survey by childcare app Bubble reveals 68% of parents claim they have had to turn down extra work or not apply for a particular job which might lead to more money – all because they can’t find flexible, affordable or available childcare to match.

Two thirds of parents said they would take a pay cut to get more flexible childcare benefits, while the same amount have even thought about losing their job.

Ari Last, co-founder of Bubble and father-of-three, said, “The pandemic changed our working lives forever. It’s time the childcare system changed to match. With a quarter of employers now offering flexible working as standard – and that number set to rise – parents need flexible childcare to match.

“The current rules that govern how and with whom a parent can use their government allowance were written before the iPhone was invented. How parents want and need to access childcare today, like many things, has changed dramatically, and regulation needs to adapt.”

Almost half of working parents rely on friends and family as babysitters, while almost a quarter of grandparents say they have had to retire early to help with childcare.

The UK government provides all families with tax-free childcare, equating to up to £2,000 a year of support for formal providers such as nurseries and childminders. However, while 1.3million families are eligible, around 800,000 are not taking up the help.

Nearly half of UK parents said they’re constantly tired as a result of not having childcare that’s flexible enough and a third said it’s taking a toll on their mental health.

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