Parents say new childcare support doesn't cover costs

Michaela Marsh said she is spending half her wages on nursery costs

Mothers have said the government's new 30 hours of free childcare offer does not go far enough to help working parents.

Michaela Marsh, a single mother from Gloucestershire, said even with the new government support she is spending half her wages on nursery for her daughter.

This comes after the new childcare scheme began in England on 1 September - offering working parents access to 30 hours of childcare during term time for children aged nine months to four years old.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the scheme would "put money back in working parents' pockets".

The average cost of full-time nursery (50 hours a week) for a child under two in England is £12,425 a year in 2025.

Parents working on an income between £10,158 and £100,000 may now be eligible for 30 hours of funded childcare for their children aged at least 9 months.

Those who are not eligible for 30 hours of funded childcare may be eligible for 15 hours instead.

Although the childcare is free, parents may be asked to pay for some extras such as meals, nappies, additional hours and additional activities.

Ms Marsh, a guest experience manager, said the new government offer "is not free".

She said: "With 30 hours a week, they split that across the week so it's six hours a day and, because of the hours that I work, my little girl needs to be in for 10 hours.

"I then need to pay an hourly rate for the four hours per day on top and then the meals, which costs £12.

'Misleading to say free'

She added. "Although I'm saving on the hours, I was paying a set day rate that had everything included before."

A spokesperson from Happy Days Nursery in Swindon, which has 100 places, echoed Ms Marsh's reservations around the "free" aspect of the offer.

They said: "It's working wonderfully for us. We have a waiting list on our busiest days now.

"But I do find the government advertising free childcare is misleading for parents.

"We have consumable charges, such as food, baby wipes and nappies, and some parents do find that to be a shock."

Chantel Targett says working four days instead of five makes more financial sense with nursery costs

Chantel Targett, a recruitment business partner from Swindon, returned to work this September after having her child 11 months ago.

She said the offer of 30 hours per week only qualifying during term-time is an issue.

"That was a snag we weren't anticipating," she said. "It works out to be about 22 hours per week that roughly works out to be three days."

Ms Targett said she will be working four days instead of five, as returning full-time would only make her £100 better off after her daughter had been put in nursery.

Parents in the West have told the BBC the government's new childcare offer does not go far enough

Hannah, 37, from Bath, said her two-year-old son's nursery does not accept the government funding as it would not recuperate costs under the scheme.

She said the cost of sending her son to nursery has risen from £50 to £85 per day over two and a half years.

"What we're particularly worried about is that the placement or the childcare area that he will be going into don't accept the government's funding.

"That is preventing us from having another child."

'Plan for change'

Rajan Lakhani is a personal finance expert and head of money at Plum, a finance platform.

He said the 30 hours of funded childcare a week is causing difficulty for nursery providers and parents.

"[It's] leading them to close down or charge high top-up fees for extras like meals and nappies," he said.

A Department for Education spokesperson said high-quality, affordable childcare is central to the government's Plan for Change.

The plan aims to make "real improvements to working people's lives."

They said the Coram Childcare Survey, which provides data on the issues families face in the UK, showed the difference the expansion to 15 hours was already making - with costs for families more than halved.

They added: "Now, hundreds of thousands of families are starting to access 30 hours of government-funded childcare, saving parents up to £7,500 a year per child."

The government spokesperson said no child should face barriers because of their families finances, which is why it is delivering "record investment" in early years.