Rising costs for after-school care are placing growing pressure on families with primary school children in England, according to an analysis of data collected by the children’s charity Coram. The charity’s figures show the annual cost of after-school provision for children aged five to 11 has risen by 5% in the past year to an average of £2,636.
Over a ten-year span the average bill has jumped 42%, and in some parts of the UK annual charges now exceed £2,800 per child. The overall rise does not take into account the separate costs of breakfast clubs or extracurricular activities, which many parents also pay for.
The Coram data highlights substantial year-on-year increases that follow a longer-term trend of rising childcare costs. While the published average relates to England, the picture across the UK is uneven, with local variation pushing costs higher in certain areas and contributing to significant differences in what families pay.
Advocates and campaigners say higher childcare bills can squeeze household budgets and affect parents’ decisions about work and childcare arrangements. Because the headline figures exclude breakfast clubs and other out-of-school activities, the total annual cost to many families is likely to be higher than the after-school care figure alone.
The new data arrives amid ongoing debates about the affordability and availability of childcare provision. Policymakers, employers and family groups are watching such trends closely as they consider measures to support working families and address regional disparities in childcare costs.