Early years educators’ union Community has backed the Labour Party’s call for a wide-ranging review of the early years sector following the release of new statistics which show how childcare costs have ballooned beyond inflation since 2010.
New analysis released by Labour shows that the average cost of a part-time nursery place is now 80% higher than it was in 2010, with a family now set to pay £2,400 more a year than they would have done in 2010. The average cost of a full-time nursery place has also increased to around £283.95 a week, or over £9,000 a year.
Community Union’s National Officer for Education and Early Years, Helen Osgood, said:
“That childcare costs are now rising faster than the rate of inflation is a cause for deep concern. The situation is simply not sustainable for families up and down the country who are struggling. Single parents are set to be especially hard hit, and many parents will be forced to give up work as childcare costs become unaffordable.
“We can’t go on like this, and we at Community support the Labour Party’s call for a full, expert-led review into the early years to examine how we can expand access to childcare in a sustainable way and ensure that families’ basic needs can be met without breaking their finances.”
You can read more about the Labour Party’s research here.
Community is the union for education and early years professionals: representing teachers, headteachers, education, school support staff and early years staff. With over fifty years’ experience, we represent members and campaign to improve conditions for education and early years professionals. We are a modern trade union, campaigning for a better working world.
If you are a member of Community and need advice or support, please contact our Service Centre at help@community-tu.org or on 0800 389 6332.
© Community Trade Union 2024