I’ve recently been looking at local childcare costs, to see how feasible having a baby would be. I live in outer London, which I acknowledge is expensive.
All of the local nurseries are £90-100 per day (>£100 per day if you do less than full time).
This means my childcare cost for one child will be around £2,000 per month.
I’m feeling a little frustrated by the enormity of the cost, and the minimal support which the government will provide to working parents.
If prices continue to rise above inflation, we can’t be too many years off the very, very vast majority of parents (and let’s face it, women) left in the position that they have no option but to quit their careers if they want a child.
Why is this not a more pressing topic in the press and government? I know we are a country like the idea of ‘don’t have children if you can’t afford them’ - but if this trend continues presumably no one will be able to afford to have children and contemplate a career, unless they can make it to senior management before they hit 35.
What’s a sustainable way to lower the cost? Providers already seem to struggle to make the numbers work and break even, let alone be profitable. Could the full sum become tax deductible in some way (other business expenses are!).