Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, responding to a report showing that nearly a fifth of parents quit jobs because of childcare costs, said:

“Since 2010, childcare costs have risen at double the rate of wages, and it is clear the Tories are failing to provide the high-quality, affordable care needed by parents across the country.

“Families on the lowest income have been excluded from the government’s main free childcare programme and once again they are paying the highest price for Ministers’ refusal to invest in services.

“The next Labour government will transform childcare provision, offering 30 hours of high quality pre-school care a week to all 2-4 year olds in England, as part of our National Education Service.”

Ends

Notes to Editors:

· Campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed said its study showed that the cost of childcare is “exorbitant”, with women mainly bearing the brunt of the impact, adding to the gender pay gap and “motherhood penalty”.

· Almost one in five parents have had to leave their jobs because of the cost of childcare, a new study suggests.

· A similar number want to work but cannot afford to because of the cost of childcare, while two out of three parents have to work fewer hours.

· The cost of childcare has risen by between 32% and 47% across England between 2010 and 2018, compared with wages, which have risen by around 16% in the same period. This means that childcare costs have increased by double and in some cases triple, the rate of wages from 2010 to 2018, a Labour analysis shows. https://labour.org.uk/press/cost-childcare-risen-32-47-since-2010-angela-rayner/