How much are you paying for your child's summer childcare?

Key Points

Scotland has seen a 3% rise in summer childcare costs on last year, report finds
The average weekly price of holiday childcare clubs in Scotland is £167.87
The average weekly price of holiday childminders in Scotland is £238.05
Scottish council’s do not have a general childcare sufficiency duty for school-age holiday childcare
Only 17% of the childcare provided across Scotland is provided by the public sector

Families who need childcare over the six-week summer holiday face paying over £1,000 per child on average, a report has found.

Scotland has seen a 3% rise in the cost on last year and there are significant gaps in provision for children with additional needs, parents working atypical hours and families in rural areas, according to research by the Coram Family and Childcare charity.

Councils have also reported a shortage of holiday childcare places.

The report suggests families in the UK pay on average £1,076 for six weeks at a holiday childcare club for a school-age child, which is £677 more than they would pay for six weeks in an after-school club during term time.

The research, based on surveys of local authorities in Scotland, England and Wales between April and June, suggests the average cost of a holiday childcare club has risen by 4% in a year to £179 per week.

Wales has the highest weekly price at £210, followed by England at £178 and Scotland at £168.

Holiday clubs in Scotland are just under two-and-a-half-times more expensive than term-time after-school provision, with six weeks of summer childcare costing £569.43 more.

The report also found that the average cost of a childminder during the holidays is £234 per week in the UK.

No local authorities in Scotland said they had enough holiday childcare for parents who work atypical hours or children who live in rural areas.

But Scotland has a high percentage of providers open over the summer holiday: 92% of childcare clubs and 96% of childminders are open during the summer holiday.

Only 9% of childcare clubs and 22% of childminders are open during the Christmas holiday, the lowest level in Great Britain.

The average cost of public care in Scotland is 24% cheaper than that provided by the PVI sector, with families paying £139.76 for public childcare and £173.93 for PVI.

However, only 17% of the childcare provided across Scotland is provided by the public sector.

The Scottish Government has committed to creating a system to provide year-round childcare for those of school age by 2026.

The needs of low-income families are being prioritised, and ensuring that those on the lowest incomes can access the childcare they need for free.

Scottish councils do not have a general sufficiency duty for school-age holiday childcare.

This has resulted in most local authorities in Scotland not having data to contribute to the report. It means that the true levels of sufficiency across the country may be higher than the figures suggest.

It was found that just over a fifth of councils who responded said they had enough provision for at least 75% of four- to seven-year-olds.

But provision for other age groups was lower.

The next highest levels of holiday childcare sufficiency were for eight- to 11-year-olds and children whose parents work full time, with 17% and 13% of local authorities who responded reporting enough provision for at least 75% of children in these categories.

Coram Family and Childcare is calling on the Scottish Government to do more for holiday childcare providers to meet the needs children.

Lydia Hodges, head of Coram Family and Childcare, said: “The need for childcare doesn’t finish at the end of term.

“Holiday childcare not only helps parents to work but gives children the chance to have fun, make friends and stay active during the school breaks.

“Yet all too often it is missing from childcare conversations.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “It is welcome that this report shows that holiday childcare costs families less in Scotland than in other parts of the UK.

“We recognise more can be done to expand our current childcare offer, which is why we are providing £16 m between 2024 and 2026, to pilot year-round childcare in 23 early adopter communities. We are also providing almost £22m to provide holiday free school meals alternatives for eligible families and £5m for the Extra Time programme to provide up to 5,000 free places for children in low-income families at breakfast, after school and holiday clubs.

“This work is part of our efforts to eradicate child poverty and will support families with children from the early years to the end of primary school, including in rural and island communities.”