Childcare costs higher in Scotland than elsewhere

CHILDCARE costs more in Scotland than in most other parts of Britain, concludes a new report from children's charities. 

It echoes the concerns of parents and carers across the country, and their desire to be involved in helping to formulate policies and approaches that address these issues - as the Poverty Truth Commission has argued and demonstrated.

Some parents are facing bills of nearly £12,000 a year, says the report, published by the Daycare Trust and Children in Scotland.

What they uncover is a 'postcode lottery' whereby some local authorities are charging twice as much as others for child daycare.

The "Scottish Childcare Lottery" report finds nursery prices as high in Scotland as southern England in some areas, with 25 hours of care over 50 weeks at the most expensive nursery costing £11,688, reports the Daily Record newspaper.

The report says that out-of-school childcare in the most expensive local authority is 94% more expensive than the cheapest council.

The price of after-school care, at an average of £49 for 15 hours, is significantly higher in Scotland than in England and Wales.

 The report also finds that only 20% of local authorities have enough childcare provision to meet local demand. Moreover, only 10% have enough childcare for parents who work outside regular office hours or who live in rural areas.

More on the report for Britain as a whole here.