The latest research from campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed found that 45.9% of parents have had to raid their savings to cover nursery or childminder fees, as their salary does not cover it.
Half of single parents have had to borrow money to pay for childcare, furthermore, and a third of all mothers have been unable to return to work full time due to the cost of childcare or availability of spaces. Only 11.9% of fathers have had to do the same.
The survey also revealed that just over half (53%) of parents with a child under five in England spend more than a quarter of their household income on childcare, up 16% from last year. A fifth say they spend more than half their household income on childcare.
