Parents in Wales ‘punished’ with highest bills

Families in Wales are being “punished” by child care invoices below the twos that are more than double the average of those of England, said Oxfam Cymru.

Parents in Wales with children two years or less do not receive government help with child care costs, parents in England can claim 15 hours of free child care per week for aldhs and two years old children.

The Children’s charity organization Coram said that nursery costs under the twos were now more expectations in Wales than anywhere else in Great Britain.

The Galeses government said it had invested more than 100 million a year to maintain and grow the care of high quality children.

According to a survey By Coram, the cost of a part -time nursery (25 hours per week) for a child under two years in Wales is now £ 155.

In England, the cost of a place of time, once the financed hours take into account, has fallen to £ 70.

“These are invoices that many families simply cannot afford, and risk keeping parents locked out of the workplace,” said Lydia Hodges, director of the Coram family and child care.

Sarah Rees, director of Oxfam Cymru, said the data showed that families in Wales “were really being punished compared to offers that have been caused to families that need children care in England.”

“People in England have access to child care support for younger children, from nine months, and that means that their invoices are the practical half or what are the invoices for families in Wales.”

The cost of child care is the reason why Katie Bromley, mother of three, feels that she is not in a position to return to work.

“Child care costs have increased,” said Mrs. Bromley, who was with her one -year -old daughter in a baby group and father of the Salvation Army in Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, while her two older children were in school.

“Likewise with my husband working full time every day, it is still extent and difficult to return to work.

“If I had more support, I would be looking for a job … so that I can get a little more freedom and find a job that can help me return.”

Ffion Ryan said it was a “fight” until the children turned three, after which parents can claim financial help with the costs of child care that we live in Wales.

“We are expected to work after nine months and it is obviously a long time until three o’clock and that is when you really need it,” said Ryan, a Llansannan teacher in Conwy County who is in motherhood.

Mrs. Ryan said she believed that financial support towards child care should be unexpected at the time the maternity payment ends.

In the United Kingdom, the legal payment of maternity ends at 39 weeks, or approximately nine months.

“If you are asking women to work after nine months, then the aid should be there,” said Mrs. Ryan.

In EnglandChildren’s working parents between nine months and two years old can claim 15 hours of free child care per week, which will be extended to 30 hours for all children under five from September 2025.

However, some child care suppliers in England They have expressed Conerns about the increase in costsWhich leads fears about the shortage of spaces.

In WelshFinanced child care is available for children of two, three and four years.

According to the sacrifice of child care, the parents and guardians of children of three and four years can claim up to 30 hours of free child care every week, up to 48 weeks of the year.

The Flying Starts program provides 12.5 hours of free child care for two -year -old children in eligible areas. All resources of two years are being gradually implemented, the prioritization of the most disadvantaged.

Oxfam Cymru said that “much faster” should be implemented and that only 60% of families with two -year -old children had access to it so far.

But the owner of the nursery, Lisa Owen, said she did not believe that the child care system could support free care for nine -month -old children, she even thought she agreed with the beginning.

Mrs. Owen said that the money that suppliers received from the Welsh government for delivering the child care sacrifice did not fulfill the costs and had an impact on the parents’ invoices.

“All our costs have increased,” said Mrs. Owen, owner or nursery of laughter in Newport.

“We have personnel relationships for Mintain, so when the costs increase, all we can do is present charges.

“The child care sacrifice unfortunately subtroplates, so we are losing money. To try to recover those costs, we have had to put our general rates that have a massive impact on children two years or less.”

She said that the increase in national nurseries insurance invoices joined the problems.

“We are losing the hand of money on the fist every day,” he said, warning that some environments ran the risk of closing.

It is likely that child care costs appear in the Senedd 2026 electoral campaign.

Plaid Cymru, who helped ensure free child care expansion for two -year -old children as part of a 2021 agreement with the Welsh government, said he wanted to “offer an extended, more affordable and perfect childhood offer in 2026”.

The liberal democratic leader Walesa Jane Dodds, who helped approve the Galeses government budget last month which included additional care of £ 30 million for child care, wants 30 hours of free child care for all nine -month preschool age children.

Welsh conservatives said that the consistent financing that Wales received as a result of the increase in child care spending of the United Kingdom should be used “to replicate England policy of 30 hours of free child care for all children under five years.”

The Welsh labor government said it focused on the most disadvantaged communities in the first instance.

“We are providing additional £ 50 million in 2025-26 for the additional expansion of our children’s starting child care scheme to two-year-old children, which will support more families and increase the rate per hour for child care,” he said.