Childcare costs pushing Scots families into poverty

A new report published today by Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) exposes the worrying shortcomings in childcare provision in Scotland. In particular, it says that many clients find that provision is either too expensive or simply doesn’t exist in a way that works for them.

Among the report’s findings:

• The average cost of childcare in Scotland is £5,500 for 25 hours of childcare per week (for a child under 2). This is simply un-affordable for thousands of Scottish parents who want to work but can’t meet these costs.
• Parents in Scotland spend 27% of their household income on childcare, while the average of parent in OECD countries is just 12%.
• Only 23% of Scotland’s Local Authorities felt that there was enough childcare for working parents in their area, compared with 54% of English Local Authorities.
• There are also wide regional variations within Scotland. Costs for part-time nursery childcare in Scotland vary as much as £3,341 between different Council areas.
• Changes to tax credits have cut the support that is available to top up family incomes, leaving many working parents struggling to make ends meet.

Publishing the report, Citizens Advice Scotland’s Policy Manager, Keith Dryburgh, said: “Childcare has become a more high-profile issue over the last couple of years, and rightly so. If we get it right, the whole Scottish economy will benefit, as well as the families directly concerned. However, the evidence from Scotland’s CAB service is clear: childcare isn’t working for far too many families in Scotland. And many parents who want to work are unable to do so because they can’t get childcare.

“The most frequently cited problems we see are the huge cost, which can average over £5,500 per year for 25 hours of care for a pre-school child. But lack of availability is also a problem in many areas. This is particularly acute in rural and remote areas, but is felt across the whole country. These issues of cost and availability are the two big, preventative barriers that stop parents from getting back to work.

“So in our recommendations today we are calling for the Scottish government and Local Authorities to do more to make sure that affordable childcare is available across the country. The UK government should also do more through the tax and benefits system to help ease the burdens that working parents feel.

“Just as important, however,  we are also calling on employers to make sure they are offering the right employment policies to suit working families. e.g. flexible working conditions and more consideration when fixing rotas and shifts could make a huge difference to parents when arranging childcare. Many employers already do this but we urge more to follow their lead and help their staff manage this difficult situation.”

The CAS report is the latest in a series of reports they have published on the issues affecting the working poor in Scotland. The report is based on the evidence of real Scottish CAB cases, and includes a number of constructive recommendations for change.

To download the report, visit: http://www.cas.org.uk/publications/working-edge-childcare