Take part in a major survey to have your say on the impact of childcare costs

The cost of childcare is often cited by parents as being the biggest barrier to returning to work.

Now, two UK charities are joining forces to launch a childcare survey to find out what impact the rising costs of childcare is having on families.

Research from OECD, puts Britain among the countries with the most expensive childcare costs in the world.

A full time nursery place in the UK costs an average of £177 per week for a child under two years.

The childcare element of Working Tax Credits has also dropped from a maximum of 80 per cent of 70 per cent.

Save the Children and Daycare Trust are sending out a survey to 70,000 parents across the UK with the aim of emphasizing to the government the impact the costs have on families – especially ones surviving on a low income.

Through the answers given, the charities are hoping to find out if families are having to make cut backs on essentials and exactly how difficult it is for parents to find or hold down jobs.

Head of UK Policy and Advocacy, Save the Children, Sally Copley said:“Childcare is so expensive it’s becoming a luxury that only families earning a very good wage can comfortably afford. For families on low incomes they simply won’t earn enough to cover their childcare bill as well as living costs – effectively pricing the poorest families out of work. We hope this survey will reveal the impact of childcare costs on Britain’s families so the Government can better understand the barrier such costs create.”

To take part in the survey, visit: www.savethechildren.org.uk/childcare