According to research by children's charity Their World, a quarter of British parents are quitting their jobs to look after their children due to rising childcare costs. Nearly

three-quarters of the parents surveyed stated they found it challenging to meet childcare payments. The number of parents quitting work due to childcare costs is reportedly higher than in countries like Brazil, Nigeria, and Turkey.

The National Childbirth Trust discovered that part-time childcare costs an average of £7,000 per child per year, with London experiencing even higher prices. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced an additional £4 billion would be assigned to fund childcare over three years in his latest budget. However, eligible households in England will not receive 30 hours of free childcare per week for children under the age of five until September 2025.

Their World's research involved questioning more than 7,000 parents and carers from Brazil, India, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Turkey, the US, and the UK with children under the age of seven. The study found that 23% of British parents had quit work or studying to avoid childcare costs. As many as 74% of UK parents said they find it difficult to meet childcare costs. In comparison, 52% of parents in India, 57% in the Netherlands, 59% in Nigeria, and 68% in the US find it challenging to pay for childcare.

Sarah Brown, the chairwoman of Theirworld, is calling on governments to prioritize spending on the early years. Brown, who is married to former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, said the survey "laid bare the scale of the global early years crisis and its impact on children in rich and poor countries alike." She added that "early years childcare is as essential to a country's infrastructure as roads, hospitals, and telecommunications."

The survey also found that 65% of UK parents have made major financial changes, including taking on more work and spending less on food, to afford childcare. The rising cost of childcare is forcing many parents to make tough decisions, such as leaving the workforce, reducing working hours, or struggling to make ends meet. The issue of childcare costs needs to be addressed, and governments must take steps to ensure that affordable and accessible childcare is available to all families. Photo by David and Rachel Landin, Wikimedia commons.