Childcare costs fall for the first time in 15 years – but nurseries are worried

Mar 20, 2025

Vanessa Clarke

Education correspondent

 

Annual nursery costs for a child under two in England have fallen for the first time in 15 years, according to the children’s charity Coram.

It comes as the government continues to roll out its funded childcare scheme, which will provide all eligible working parents of pre-school children, not only three and four-year-olds as currently, with 30 hours of childcare per week from September.

However, some nurseries and childminders say they may have to drop out of the scheme as government funding struggles to meet rising costs, including National Insurance increases from April.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson says the survey highlights “the real difference the expanded childcare entitlements are making”.

 

Read more….
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8j0vrnrnmzo

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