This research by Coram Family and Childcare shows the soaring cost of childcare is forcing parents to use their annual holiday entitlement to cover childcare duties.
It shows that more than half (55%) have resorted to using annual leave to cover childcare duties, with one in 10 using their entire entitlement in the process. This comes as research suggests that the cost of summer childcare has now reached £943 per child on average, a 3% rise from last year.
Almost two thirds (62%) of working parents find arranging childcare for the school summer holidays to be a significant source of stress, whilst over 1 in 10 (12%) use their entire annual leave entitlement in the process.
The statistics demonstrate the challenges parents face balancing work and childcare responsibilities. 43% of parents adjust their work schedules by working fewer hours, with 31% working early in the morning to cover childcare during the day, while 29% work late in the evening for the same reason. Additionally, 29% feel that their work suffers because they have to allocate more time to childcare.
Parents have pointed to the availability of flexible working arrangements as the number one factor in reducing the stress of the summer holidays, allowing them to cut down on the commute and work closer to home. In fact, 38% of parents identify this as the primary solution, with the percentage rising to 49% among parents of children under 5 years old.