Education secretary to order review of hidden childcare costs
Summary
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson will ask the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to check if childcare providers charge hidden fees to parents. The government wants to make sure free childcare for working parents is not undermined by extra costs like deposits and charges for meals or nappies.Key Facts
- The Conservative government offers 30 hours of free childcare for most working parents of 3- and 4-year-olds in England.
- Labour extended free childcare eligibility to children as young as 9 months old.
- Parents face hidden costs like non-refundable deposits and extra charges for meals, snacks, nappies, and suncream.
- The CMA, which protects consumers, will investigate these hidden childcare costs.
- Over 1.7 million parents in England use government-funded childcare hours.
- The average weekly cost of full-time nursery care (50 hours for under 2s) is nearly £149 in 2026, a 39% drop from last year.
- The government is working on several measures to reduce cost of living pressures for families, including cheaper attraction tickets and free bus journeys for children.
- Rising fuel, energy, and food prices due to the war in Iran add to financial pressures on households.
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